Come A Little Bit Closer
by My Purple Skies
Summary: What would you do if your mom was sick and it was all up to you to help her? Would you steal engine parts off a Ravager ship so you could sell them for passage off of Knowhere? Well, I did. At least I tried to. I got caught and was offered an alternative. Join Yondu Udonta's crew or be eaten. If I joined, my units would go to Mom's care. Nobody said I'd be a baby-sitter for a kid!
1. Because

**(Greetings, Terrans, and a 'Hello' to my dear Readers who are familiar with my other works. This next bit is kinda aimed at the latter, so please excuse us for a second, newcomers. *grins at Readers* I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Why aren't you uploading another chapter in** _ **Welcome to the Mad House**_ **or the** _ **Chaos Saga**_ **? Hmmm?" Well, I have a perfectly good explanation for that. Heh heh. Um… I met Michael Rooker and after I saw** _ **GotG Vol. 2**_ **I got struck by the Inspiration Bolt! That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Speaking of stories, let's move on and get to introducing this one, eh?**

 **So without further ado….)**

 **[Song Suggestions for this Chapter: 'Because' by The Beatles and immediately listen to 'Princes of the Universe' by Queen. And when I say immediately I mean it better be the next track. 'Wonderful World' by Sam Cooke is a good song to listen to afterwards.]**

Chapter One

 _Because…_

Wait until its dark outside, then go somewhere secluded and as far from city lights as possible. Find a place with an open view of the sky. Lie on the ground and put on some headphones. Listen to 'Because' by The Beatles as you gaze up at the stars… Did you feel that? That catch in your breath as you stared at the immense sky and realized that every single one of those stars is another world…

The galaxy never ceases to amaze me. It also never fails to pull a real humdinger of a surprise on me either. Like how I got roped into becoming a Ravager, or how I helped raise a little boy who became a part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Oh, that last part got your attention, huh? Shall I start at the beginning? Heh. Okay, here it goes.

My DNA and bio scans have me registered as half Terran and Threxian. Both species are similar in appearance which has lead to many misidentifications, trust me. I spent the better half of my life on the planet Threx, my mother's home world, but as for Terra I've never been. Dad said it was too dangerous for anyone non-Terran to be there (although the word he used was 'hew-man', I think I'm saying that right). He tried to explain it to me a long time ago and from what I could understand it sounded to me like Terrans are scared of anything unlike their own kind. So how did my parents meet and end up being a happily married couple who traveled about space? I have no _scarrin'_ clue. They never got around to telling me about it.

Dad died when I was a _squig_ of a girl, barely eleven years old. By that time in my life, my family had left Threx on a journey to Xandar where my parents were sure to find great jobs but along the way our ship sustained major damage and needed repairs, so Dad docked us at the nearest space station; Knowhere. It scared the _sprek_ out of me the first time I saw it. Somehow the station had been built inside the severed head of a Celestial being! Knowhere's notorious for being the trading post, hideout, and haven for misfits, runaways, unsavory characters and the worst of the worst, Ravagers (think space pirates).

"We'll be here only long enough to get the parts we need," Dad had said. Unfortunately, our ship was far too damaged for a short stay. That ended up being the death of my dad. We'd been on Knowhere for about a week when some thug killed him for a part he'd just bought for our engine. I didn't just lose my dad that night, I lost my mom too. It was like a part of her died on the spot. She got to where she barely spoke and was rarely lucid enough to take care of matters. At age eleven, I had to become her care-taker. I had to find work among the seedy populous. I had to learn to survive. And I did.

….

Seven Years Later

My time keeper let out a trilling sound, waking me from a surprisingly restful slumber. I'd probably gotten about six hours of sleep which for me was a very good 'night's' sleep. I say 'night' but honestly there's no day or night on Knowhere. All there is is dark skies and thousands of lights illuminating the space station. Sure the inhabitants have a way to keep time but we usually don't refer to anything as 'day', it's always 'night'. That's one of the many things I learned on this _sprek-hole_ of a station. Once I realized Mom and I weren't getting out of there, I adapted real quick. The ship was beyond repair, so it became our home. I held a tiny flicker of hope that one day I'd save enough units to buy us passage off of Knowhere. I didn't have any destination in mind, a _nywhere_ was better than this place.

Groaning a bit as I sat up from my bunk, my head thunked on the ceiling and I cringed as a throbbing sense of pain spread along my skull. " _Sprek_ ," I hissed, rubbing the crown of my head. Lowering myself onto my stomach, I eased my upper body over the edge of my bunk to peak at the lower bunk's occupant. My mom lay sleeping, undisturbed from the noise.

Being a Threxian, Mom aged slower than Terrans. Some would confuse us for sisters and not mother and daughter. I looked a bit like her my mom. We both sported red hair, had a similar Cupid's bow mouth and both stood at 5' 8", but the rest of my features was all me. Green eyes, a slightly turned up nose and freckles all over my body. Sometimes I wish I looked a little bit like my dad so I could see something of him in the mirror, ya know?

Taking care not to make any additional noise, I crept down the short ladder from my bunk to the floor and tip-toed about the room, picking up my pack, my boots, my jacket, and my compact spear. The spear was something I'd been working on since I was fifteen. One push of a button and it would spring into a full-sized spear or with a twist here or there it would down-size to fit my needs. It did have a bit of a weight to it but since I'd been practicing with it for a few years so it felt second nature to me. At the moment, it could easily fit into my pack among the various _cobs and bwabs_ I kept inside.

Sneaking out of the room, I quietly slid the partition into place so I could fix myself breakfast without waking Mom. I glanced over at the charger on the table and grinned to see a little blue light blinking at me. My music device was all juiced up and ready for me. I'm sure music device isn't the correct term but I forgot what that Terran wares peddler called it when he sold it to me about two years back. Despite knowing next to nothing about my Terran culture, I've found I have a deep love of its music. Since discovering it I've gone about collecting music and tinkering on the device so that it can contain more songs for me to enjoy. Sometimes when I've got nothing planned for the day and I'm hanging about the ship, I play some music on speaker for Mom to hear. I think she listens to it because she seems to go really still, as if she's trying to catch every _squig_ note.

Today – heh 'day' – I put in my earphones (headphones?) and clipped the device to my belt. I pressed the play button and music blasted out of them, just the way I liked it. I scrounged around the ship's kitchen to find something to eat, my movements synchronizing with the beat.

" _I am immortal; I have inside me blood of kings_

 _I have no rival, No man can be my equal_

 _Take me to the future of your world!"_

Grabbing a bowl and a whisk, I may have used them as props for the next verses as I passionately mouthed the words.

" _I'm a man that will go far,_ _  
_ _Fly the moon and reach for the stars,_ _  
_ _With my sword - ,"_

So what if it was a whisk?

"– _and head held high,_ _  
_ _Got to pass the test first time – yeah!_ _  
_ _I know that people talk about me I hear it every day,_ _  
_ _But I can prove you wrong cos I'm right first time, yeah!"_

I happened to glance at the time keeper on my wrist and winced. No time to dally. I had to get some food in me and hurry off to where I was to work for the day. I scrambled up some prelk eggs and shoveled in as much as possible, making sure to leave enough for Mom when she woke… _if_ she woke before I returned. Mom was sleeping more and more often. It had me worried.

About a month ago, Mom's condition had gotten worse. I'd done all I could but she needed real help. I needed to get her to a medical station, not the _sprekken_ med stalls this recycle heap of a station had to offer. She needed to leave Knowhere, but that would require units that we didn't have. Passage off of the station was pricy; I couldn't even begin to guess how much medical care would cost.

A slight shuffling sound caught my ear.

"Mom?"

She stood in the opening of the partition, blankly looking around the room. I had been in the process of tugging on my boots and I remained hunkered over my knees as if the slightest movement my scare off my mom.

"I was just about to leave for the garage," I said. Her eyes didn't focus on me when I spoke. A sinking feeling in my gut made itself at home. She was having one of _those_ spells again. She probably wouldn't say a word all night. "I cooked some eggs. There's some left for you."

She was like a _proux_ , or a ghost as my dad called them; she floated into the room as if I weren't there. Her hands brushed the small table as she passed by. I knew where she was heading. The cockpit. She'd taken to sitting in the chair and just staring out the window. I sighed and finished putting on my boots, scrapped the leftover eggs onto a plate and carried it with me as I followed her. She was exactly where I thought she'd be.

"Here, Mom." I gently took her hands and closed her fingers over the plate and an eating utensil with blunt edges. Her gaze never wavered from the window as she slowly brought a bit of egg to her mouth and chewed. I felt a rush of relief seeing her eat. I was constantly worried that one night I wouldn't be able to get her to eat. Sometimes she'd forget to.

I didn't want to leave her alone when she was like this but I needed to get to work. There was no win in this situation. "I'll be home right after work," I told her and kissed her on the cheek. I got a slight hum from her in response. I felt a little better at that.

I left her a note about where I'd be and what time I'd be home, on the off chance she might read it, and double-checked I had everything I needed on me before I left the ship. I took a moment to scan the area, seeing the familiar sight of the station, its buildings and occupants. I shrugged into my brown leather jacket, placed my ear phones so that they hung from my neck and cranked up the volume so I could hear my music but also my surroundings as well. No need to get run over by some contraption because I had my ear phones on, right? With a sigh and Sam Cooke singing 'Wonderful World' near my ears, I squared my shoulders and descended the gangway from my ship and into the milling crowd. I glanced at my time keeper and smirked. If luck was on my side then I'd make it to Malek's garage just in time.

Malek was a six-armed, red-skinned and black-haired creature that reminded me of the trolls Dad once read to me from a book of Terran stories called 'fairytales'. Malek had known me since I came to be on Knowhere, but he was far from being a father figure to me. He was more of a 'better show this kid what's what before she causes me any trouble' kind of guy. I think I've grown on him within the past seven years though. I'm too cute for him to dislike me. … Yeah right, ha!

His business consisted of spare parts for almost any ship you could think of. He was also one of the few who did honest work, no illegal or stolen parts, he went by the book. Not because he believed in integrity but because he viewed dishonesty as too much of a hassle. What a guy, right?

Since I began to work with Malek he taught me how the parts we sold worked on the ships and how to identify what kind of ship it would go to just by looking at it. He taught me which were worth the most units, which were in demand, how to spot a faulty part or a fake and any other tidbits of information he felt like imparting to me if the mood suited him. The thing I was most grateful to him for teaching me was the knowledge I needed to build my gadgets like my spear. That came in handy more often than I care to admit.

"Lydia, you're late," Malek growled at me the moment I entered the garage. It's not that he was being unpleasant, per say, his voice just naturally came out as a growl. At least that's how he sounded every time I've heard him talk. I think it has something to do with his species.

I held up my time keeper. "By two minutes!" I yelled over the sounds of machinery from the back of the building.

"Two minutes of work gone!" he shouted back. I rolled my eyes and removed my jacket as I walked to my locker. I felt Malek's black eyes on me but I said nothing, waiting for him to speak. "You wore that outfit yesterday," he grunted as I passed him by.

Whirling around, my jacket clutched dramatically to my chest, I feigned an expression of awe. "Malek, you noticed what I was wearing! I'm flattered, really I am!"

He snorted, unamused, and turned to his work. "You're hair looks like a _reshk_ nest."

I frowned ever so slightly and lifted a hand to my tangled hair. Okay, so I'd slept with my hair in the braids I usually styled my hair in. So what? I can't be bothered to refresh them every night. Plus I was so exhausted when I got home I went straight to bed without even thinking of changing into my sleepwear or unbraiding my hair.

"Planning to leave the junk business to be a fashion consultant, Malek?" I asked testily. A few workers who managed to overhear my comment snickered until Malek threw a glare their way and barked at them to get back to work.

He returned his gaze to me and pointed one finger at me while the hands of his other arms continued to sort various engine parts. "You make trouble, little girl."

"Oh, Malek, I know it must be difficult to hide your true feelings from me, but you _must_ resist! What would people think?" I quickly ducked into the hall to my work station before he could either explode or throw something at me.

"Cheeky she-devil!" I heard him shout. _Ah, he went for exploding._ His words were followed by a metallic bang that prompted me to step up my pace. _Alright, exploding_ and _throwing._

"You're gonna push your luck too far one day," Zeg sing-songed at me as I joined him at our shared station.

"Ah, never; he loves me too much."

Zeg smirked and shook his head, refusing to take the bait.

Zeg was a K'aitian with green skin and yellow eyes. He and I had worked together for almost two years and we flirted often with each other, but we both knew nothing would happen. It wasn't that I found him unappealing, being raised among various beings of differing cultures had taught me to be open minded about the diverse standards of beauty. Zeg and I both knew that we weren't attracted to each other to go any further than playful flirting.

"How's your mother?" he asked me.

The smile on my face was a bit strained. "She's … okay."

Zeg winced. "My apologies."

We worked in silence for nearly twenty minutes, my mind on my mom's health and how even with the additional jobs I had taken on the side since she got sick, I still wasn't earning enough to get her out of Knowhere any time soon. My thoughts must have shown on my face because Zeg nudged my arm and looked around. "How desperate are you for units?"

"If Mom doesn't get out of here soon…"

"Would you consider a job that may be …shady?"

My head twitched sharply but I refrained from showing any additional surprise in case someone was watching. "How shady?" I asked.

"Thieving."

"…Depends on the haul," I whispered.

"M-ship parts are in high-demand these days, but shipments aren't being delivered fast enough."

"And?"

"Aaand I happen to know from a friend of mine at the docks that a Ravager flagship carrying several M-ships will be arriving on Knowhere tomorrow night."

"A Ravager ship?" I hissed. Was he insane? Ravagers were dangerous! Everyone knew that! Yet, I couldn't turn it down without hearing all the details. "How much are M-ship parts going for now?"

"About 30,000 units for most engine parts, 5,000 each for fuel containers; the list goes on. Nothing is less than a thousand units."

I did the math in my head, figuring in a passage for two and doing broad guesswork for medical costs. I'd need to steal engine parts.

"Zeg…"

"Hm?"

"Don't tell Malek."

"You have my word."

…

The Next Night

I had the next night off. For the past month since Mom got sick, if I found myself with a free night, I'd go searching for a small job that would pay units immediately after completion. Not this night though. Tonight I'd be observing the Ravager ship and waiting for the opportune moment.

I made sure to put on a change of clothes and re-braided my hair into one long red braid instead of having several like I usually do. I washed my face, glared at the explosion of freckles that didn't have the decency to limit themselves to just my cheeks, and fixed something to eat for Mom. She was a little more lucid than yester night. When I set her plate down on the table before her she actually looked up at me and smiled. I smiled back and looked away before that ache in my chest could grow any bigger.

Just as I was withdrawing my hand, Mom grasped it between both of hers and kissed it. "My girl," she mumbled, giving the top of my hand an affectionate pat. If I'd had any doubts as to whether or not I could actually go through with stealing from a Ravager ship, it got kicked square in the face just by those two words.

I squeezed hers back and leaned over to kiss my mom's forehead. "I love you," I whispered before leaving my home that night.

I had my pack and spear with me as well as my music device and time keeper. I loitered around the vendor stalls near the docks as I waited for the Ravager ship to arrive. In my opinion it came too soon, I hadn't had enough time to properly psych myself up for what I was going to do. It huge! I think I probably stood there gaping at it for a few minutes before I realized my mouth was hanging open. It was a flagship with paint so faded I could barely make out the name on its side. The _Eclector_.

My mouth twisted into a perplexed line. What the _sprek_ kind of name was the _Eclector_?

Just as I was beginning to think (and hope) it was the wrong ship, a gangplank was lowered and a group wearing Ravager red exited the ship. Well, so much for hoping.

I tracked the group with my eyes and waited until they thinned out, all going their separate ways for whatever reasons. One being in particular stuck out. He struck me as the type who'd have the answers I needed. I don't know why exactly, he just had that air about him. I couldn't pin-point what race he was. He was blue-skinned and bald but sported some sort of a red, metallic … okay, there was no other word to describe it – it looked like a shaved metal Mohawk embedded into his skull! There, I said it!

He traveled with a man whose humanoid appearance made me wonder if he was Terran. He could have been any number of species too, though. They laughed loudly, not at all concerned if their volume bothered anyone. If I managed to lose sight of them I was pretty sure I could locate them using Blue's laugh alone. It wasn't just loud, it was boisterous.

I tailed them until the two parted ways and Blue was alone at the vendor stalls. In fact, he seemed to be interested in a Terran wares stall that I frequented.

 _Hm…Do I need more Terran music?_ I smirked and headed for the stall. _Yes. Yes I do._

"Back again, Red?" the vendor asked when I approached. Blue paused in his observing a little figurine of a woman wearing a grass-skirt to look up at the vendor and in turn at me. His eyebrows lifted ever so slightly, red eyes giving me a once over.

I nodded and stopped right next to him, my music device in hand for the vendor to see. "Got anything new?"

The vendor hesitated, glancing at Blue to see if he was about to lose his attention but Blue seemed a bit interested. His eyes had fixed onto my device for a few seconds longer than someone who had only a passing curiosity. He played it cool though, setting the figurine down to pick up another. "I just got a case of the latest music on Terra," he said excitedly now that he knew Blue wasn't going anywhere.

"Nice. Got any more of that Deaf Leopard group?" I asked, lifting my brows playfully.

"I think it's actually pronounced Def Leppard," the vendor said, smiling. I knew how it was actually pronounced but sometimes the best way to put someone at ease is to show you can make mistakes and be open to correction.

"My bad," I said with a laugh.

He turned go dig up the case and left me alone with Blue. I drummed my fingers on the stall's make-shift counter, inspected an item or two, and then glanced over at him. He was older than me, at least appearance wise. Who knew how his species aged compared to me? He had the beginnings of lines at the corners of his eyes and a weathered look to his features. I caught him looking at my device and our eyes met. I held my music device up. "Weird looking, isn't it?" I asked.

"Ain't the weirdest thing I've seen," he commented.

Leaning back on the counter, arms folded over my chest, I offered him a smile. "Oh yeah, like what?"

I caught a glint of metal from his sharp teeth as he grinned smugly at me. "Girly, I've traveled the galaxy back and forth for years. That little gizmo ya got there ain't even on the list of weird stuff I've seen." His voice was raspy and he had a drawling accent that I'd never heard before. I kinda liked it.

I nodded, pursing my lips a bit in thought. "Well I guess you've got me beat there." I let my eyes scan over his outfit and acted like I'd only just noticed the flame insignia on the left side of his long leather coat. " _Sprek_ , you're a Ravager," I said, letting a hint of nervousness slip into my tone as I straightened up and took a step back. Well, if that didn't please Blue something special. That grin of his widened and I got a nice view of those sharp teeth.

"Nervous, girl?" he asked, leaning towards me.

I kept up the uneasy act as I said, "From what I've heard about Ravagers, shouldn't I be?" Maybe it wasn't all an act. I'm not saying I wasn't scared at all, oh no, far from it.

Blue leaned his right elbow on the counter, his body now facing me. I could see several crisscrossed shaped scars on the right side of his face. He tilted his head from side to side as if thinking over my question then fixed those red eyes on me again. "Ya should," he admitted. "But I reckon a pretty thing like you ain't gotta worry bout me right now. We's just two customers lookin' at some wares, ain't we?"

The grin had remained the whole time he spoke but there was a slight shift that happened, maybe how he'd changed the angle of his head, and suddenly it became a bit more flirtatious than I'd expected. My heart skipped a beat and I cleared my throat to cover up the momentary lapse of a response from me. "Uh, yeah, sure."

"Found the music!"

I nearly jumped a foot away from the stall at the sound of the vendor's voice. Blue chuckled at my jolt of surprise. I turned to look at the vendor. "Do you mind if I browse a bit?"

"Take your time, I've got another customer," he said, indicating over his shoulder. He went away.

"You like Terran music, eh?" Blue's raspy drawl asked, he sounded like he'd taken a step closer to me. A glance in his direction confirmed it.

I made it a point to be digging around the cassette tapes. "Yep. Have you ever been to Terra?"

"You could say that," he answered evasively. "Recently got a," he hesitated as if to find the right word, "crew member on board who carries around a device like yours." His eyes flicked from the device to my mine. "Got green eyes like you too. His ain't as pretty though," he muttered as an afterthought.

 _You flirt_ , I thought with amusement. Well, that's what I was aiming for anyway. Time to start steering the conversation where I really wanted it to go.

I gave his compliment a playful hum of acknowledgment, not really an answer but I wasn't telling him to back off either. Let him decide how to interpret it. "So, Ravager," I kept my gaze on the tapes while I spoke. "You've been all over the galaxy and you came to _this_ station of all places?"

"It ain't a beauty to look at," he paused and blast it, I could _feel_ his gaze checking me out, "but it's got its perks. Good tradin'."

"If I had a way off of here I wouldn't be sticking around long."

"Is that right?" I decided his smile was rather nice, despite the sharpness and the glint of metal. It did something pleasant to his eyes when he grinned. "You tryin' ta sweet talk me into taking you away from here, girl?"

I widened my eyes when I looked at him, giving him an exaggerated look of shock. "I would never try to do something as coy as that."

He chuckled appreciatively and took his time looking me over again. "So if you ain't wantin' a flight out of Knowhere, what'chu doin' talking so nice to me for, hm?" His smile changed again. A subtle shift that gave a warning. He suspected I wanted something. Might as well confirm his suspicions.

I sighed. "Alright, you caught me." I held up a cassette of Def Leppard. "I'm a bit short on units and thought I could charm you into buying it for me."

Blue threw back his head and laughed uproariously. "Darlin', I'll buy ya two if you'll keep up the act," he said.

I lifted my eyebrows. "Buy me two and it might not be an act."

He laughed some more at that and hailed the vendors attention. "Gimme two of those tapes and this cute little bugger," he told him, putting a figurine of some creature with wild neon orange hair on the counter.

I eyed the figurine and he caught my look. "I like to stick 'em all in a row on my control console."

"Control console? Are you someone important on the ship?"

He paid for our purchase and gave me a sly grin. "You could say that, girly."

I put a hand on my hip and smiled back. "How long are you staying for, Ravager?"

He stepped quite close to me as he handed me my tapes. "Long enough for a good time if that's what yer askin'."

The shiver that went down my spine wasn't one of revulsion. I didn't find him necessarily attractive, but he had a way about him that I was quickly coming to like. _Remember what you're after, Lydia._

I took the tapes and kept eye contact with him. "I might be. So long as your absence won't get you in trouble with your captain."

That seemed to tickle him for some reason. "Oh it won't, trust me."

"Trust a Ravager?" I said with a tiny smirk. I might have been enjoying the conversation a bit too much, I'll admit it. Otherwise I probably would have guessed what was coming.

"Well we Ravagers got a code we keep to," Blue informed me with an almost serious expression.

"Uh-huh." I reached out and tapped him on the chest. "And I'm sure you've always kept to the code, right?"

His expression became a bit stony. "What's that suppose ta mean?"

 _Okay, touchy subject there. Reel him back in…_

I shrugged and brushed a strand of hair that had escaped my braid away from my eyes. Holding up the tapes for him to see I smiled and started to take a step back. "Thanks for the music, Prince Charming."

I saw his brow wrinkle in confusion just before I turned away. "Prince Charmin'?"

I turned back to face him. "You know, from _Cinderella_?"

"Cinder-what?"

"You know, glass slipper, clock-strikes midnight, fairy godmother….Nothing?" At the continued blank look he gave me, I walked back over to him. " _Cinderella_ 's a Terran fairytale about a girl who's forced to be a slave to her evil stepmother and two stepsisters."

Something glinted in his eyes. "A slave, huh?"

"The King invites all the eligible women to a grand ball for his son, the prince, to pick a wife from and Cinderella's step-family forbids her to go."

"Bet she went anyway," he said with a bemused lift of an eyebrow.

"Her fairy godmother gives her a magic dress and glass slippers that will only last until midnight and sends her to the ball."

"Called it." He smirked smugly.

I giggled and continued. "The prince dances with her all night, she loses track of time and has to run back home, leaving behind a glass slipper. The prince vows he'll only marry the woman whose foot will fit the glass slipper."

Blue's brows knitted together. "That's stupid."

"He's a prince; he's got stuff to do. Anyway, his emissary travels all over the kingdom with the slipper so that every eligible woman can try it on."

"Hate to be that guy," he chuckled, scratching at the stubble along his jaw.

"When he finally makes it to Cinderella's home, her stepmother doesn't even bother to bring Cinderella to the emissary when he asks for all the eligible woman in the home to meet with him. In some versions of the story, the step-mother figured out that Cinderella was the one the Prince danced with and she locks her up."

"So what happened?"

I couldn't help but grin. My telling of the tale was nowhere near as good as how my dad had told it and yet Blue was still interested. It was kinda enduring, this tough Ravager letting me tell him a fairytale.

"Some versions go that Cinderella's animal friends helped her escape from the locked room, others say the emissary asked if there were any other women in the home and she casually mentions the servant girl and he insists on seeing her. But my favorite version is that the prince had made the journey along with the emissary's group in disguise and hears Cinderella singing. He follows her voice to where she's locked up and breaks down the door. Course he doesn't really recognize her because she's all filthy but he asks her to try on the slipper which of course fits perfectly."

"Whole kingdom of women tries to wear it and it only fits her?" He 'tsked' his disbelief.

"It's called a fairytale for a reason."

"So where does calling me Prince Charmin' come in?"

"The prince whisks Cinderella away from her cruel home and they lived happily ever after." I shrugged once again. "You mentioned me trying to sweet talk you into taking me away from here and it reminded me of the ending of that story for some reason."

Blue snorted. "Been called lots of things but I ain't never been called 'charmin' before."

I made a face. "Pity. Guess no one's bothered to talk to you like I have." I winked and turned away, walking with the determined stride of a one who thought the conversation was over.

"Girl, get yourself back over here!"

I stopped and twisted at the waist to look at him, an expression of confusion on my face. I pointed a finger to my chest. He nodded. "Yeah, you." He crooked a finger at me and I caught a hint of a sly smile turning the corners of his mouth. "Come 'ere."

Taking my time, I lazily strolled back over to him. "Is there a problem, Ravager?"

"I ain't said I was done with you yet."

"I thought you were limited on time."

"It ain't midnight yet. And seeing as how I'm the captain, darlin', I got as much time as I allow myself to have."

 _Captain?!_ I blinked. "Huh?"

"Told ya it wouldn't be a problem."

Uh, yes. Yes that was a problem. Ravagers were thieves, smugglers, criminals, bandits, mercenaries, bounty-hunters and pirates. So imagine a large group of those. Scary, right? Now imagine finding someone who can lead that group. You'd have to find someone who could scare respect into a group of men like that. Ravager captains were not to be taken lightly. And here I was flirting with one so that I could steal from him!

"What's yer name, girly?"

"Lydia," I said without thinking. I nearly smacked myself. _Sure, tell the Ravager captain your name, idiot!_

"Lydia," he repeated, drawing it out as if tasting it. He flashed me a metallic smile. "I like the sound of that." His leather-clad arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me to him. "What's say you and I go somes place a bit more private, yeah?"

Suddenly that flirtatious gleam in his eye looked a bit more predatory to me. "My place is too far," I managed to whisper still a bit thrown at the turn of events.

Blue looked away from me and stared off towards the docks. A second or so later he returned his gaze to me. "My ship. Promise I won't whisk you away," he added with a conspiratorial wink.

Some part of my brain remembered that the ship was a part of my plan's destination and I nodded. _Get a hold of yourself, Lydia! The plan's the same. Get him to take you on board, find some way to separate yourself from him and steal those engine parts!_

Yet, despite finding out he was a Ravager captain, I had unfortunately begun to like him. I didn't want to steal from him.

" _My girl…"_

But I'd let this station fall into a black hole before I threw away this chance at being able to help my mom.

I forced a smile on my lips and leaned into him. "You sure about that, Prince Charming?"

His arm pinned me flush against him. "I might could change my mind." He glanced around at the crowd as if we were in the middle of an illegal transaction.

"Something wrong?"

"Lookin' fer your pimp."

I felt a wave of fury wash over me and I slugged him in the face. He gave a shout of pain and let me go, a hand reaching up to his bleeding mouth as he swore up a storm. I had probably just kissed my chance of getting on that ship good-bye. _Great, just perfect!_ I thought angrily. I'd find another way to get the money. Turning on my booted heel, I made to storm off when I felt a hand grab me by the upper arm and whirl me around. My hands came up to brace my fall but instead I crashed into a rather solid chest and my hands were pinned in between me and the owner of said chest. Blue grinned down at me, blood trickling down from his mouth. When he chuckled, I felt how it made its way from deep in his belly and up his torso.

"Darlin', that just settled it. You're comin' with me!" His arm went round my waist and the next thing I knew we were on the move.

He didn't exactly drag me along with him to the ship; it was more like he was the one who was keeping us moving while I lagged in absolute confusion. But really, what was I supposed to expect from a Ravager, right?

"You still want me even after I slugged you?" I couldn't help but ask him as we approached the entrance of his ship.

Blue glanced at me and gave me a toothy grin. "I like a woman who's got fire in her."

A crew member stood at the entrance and beat his fist twice over his chest in salute to his captain. "Who's the girl, captain?" he asked a glint of lewd curiosity in his eyes.

"None of your dang business," Blue snapped, not bothering to stop. He guided me deep into the ship; all the twists and turns really put my memorization skills to the test. I was so focused on trying to keep my bearings that I hadn't said a word since we entered the ship. "You're awful quite," he commented.

"I've never been inside a ship this big before."

"Then what did you come to this station in?"

"Nothing as big as this."

We came to a stop outside of a metal door and Blue suddenly twisted me around and pushed me against it. His hands came to rest on the door at both sides of my head as he leaned in. "Now before all the nookie-nookie starts, I want to give ya one last chance to tell me why you bein' so sweet on me." There it was again, that easy-going smile with a threat beneath it.

I actually wanted to tell him. I _actually wanted_ to tell him. But he was a Ravager and Ravagers aren't known for their bleeding hearts. He wouldn't just hand over the engine parts and let me go about my night.

I drew in a shakey breath. "Geez, Blue, hasn't anyone ever been nice to you?" I asked as gently as I could. His head tilted towards mine just a little bit and hesitated, his eyes on my mouth. My gaze landed on those crisscrossed scars on the side of his face. I felt like the worst being in the galaxy.

"Yondu," he said.

My heart lurched. "Hm?"

"You told me your name, only fair I tell ya mine. It's Yondu."

His head ducked towards me and he kissed the pulse point on my neck. The gasp I gave was a combination of two reasons. Reason number one; it just clicked in my head why that name had caused my heart to lurch. I was coning the one and only Yondu Udonta of the Yondu Ravager Clan. _Scarrin' Yondu Udonta!_ Reason number two; how the heck did he know to kiss me _right there!_

 **(I'm not the best when it comes to writing sci-fi, it's the technical terms and 'science' parts that get me, but I just couldn't resist this idea. I'd been rolling this idea around in my head for the past few weeks and finally decided I'd give it a go. If I get enough feedback encouraging me to continue then I'll do just that. If not, eh, I'll probably write a few more chapters to see if I can change your minds but I'll probably end up stopping. Remember, no reviews translate as bad feedback in my opinion so please if you liked this chapter be sure to let me know!**

 **Until next time ya'll!)**


	2. At the Stroke of Midnight

**(Wow you guys, I got a lot of positive feedback for the first chapter – just wow! Thank you so much for giving this story a chance! I was so worried that it would be a bust. Okay, so now we're gonna find out what happens next with Lydia's plan to steal from Yondu freakin' Udonta.)**

 **(Songs/Music Suggestions for this Chapter: 'Rebel, Rebel' by David Bowie and 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley. I suggest listening to 'Rebel, Rebel' when Lydia's on the run.)**

Chapter Two

 _At the Stroke of Midnight_

I may often flirt with a guy but to be honest, that's all I have ever done. I've never gone all the way. A girl in my position can't afford to. You also couldn't appear to be too innocent either. Living on Knowhere I learned real quick what happened to girls who were innocent. Innocence and naivety was seen as prey to the scum that infested the space port and so, in order to protect myself from being taken advantage of, I put up this flirty act to throw off any predators. I've laid down a line for myself and said, "You can't cross this. This is as far as you go, no further." But _sprek_ if I wasn't in danger of crossing the line right at that moment.

He had one hand at my waist, the other wrapped my braid around his wrist and his mouth was working straight up miracles along the pulse point of my neck. The slight gristle on his chin and jaw scraped lightly against my skin and sent waves of tingles over my body. Oh yeah, I was tempted. I was _very_ tempted. For a moment I completely forgot I had even set up a line that was never to be crossed. My arms moved of their own accord and encircled his neck. All I wanted was to be closer to him.

Apparently, he had the same idea because all of a sudden I was being lifted up; my back braced against the metal door of his room and my legs wrapped around his waist without a second's thought. _Um, what the sprek, Lydia!_ He held me pinned against the door, every inch of him pressed against me to keep me in place, and it was like electricity buzzed beneath my skin, begging to be released.

"Oh _sprek_ ," I moaned.

Yondu chuckled, his mouth still attached to my throat and I felt the sound of it vibrate against me. For some reason I found that little sensation hot. Don't ask me why, this was my first make-out session, I was just finding that out myself so how can I be expected to explain it!

"You like that, darlin'?" he asked, his raspy drawl coming out smug and confident. _Sprek_ yeah, I liked it. He drew back his head enough to look me in the eyes. The red of his irises seemed to gleam with mischievous satisfaction at whatever it was he saw on my face. A hoarse sounding laugh escaped him. "Yeah, ya do."

I couldn't think of what to say. I opened my mouth, waiting for a witty reply to come but it remained lodged in the back of my throat. I closed my gaping maw. Why were words failing me now? That was a betrayal of the highest kind!

He chuckled again. "Well, darlin' ya ain't gotta look so scared. I ain't gonna eat ya." A slow grin worked its way onto his mouth, revealing those sharp teeth. "Not just yet anyways." Considering I had no idea what his species was I didn't know if he was being serious of not.

I barely had time to widen my eyes when he dove back in to kiss me. As first kisses go, I have to say…. _Wow_. He wasn't gentle. It was all rough and demanding and promised me an exciting night ahead. That buzzing energy under my skin transformed into molten liquid that pooled within my belly and left me nearly limp. My eyes drifted closed as my lips began to follow his rhythm. I wanted to let myself get lost. Couldn't I just once … just once…

 _Mom grasping my hand in both of hers and giving it a kiss. "My girl…"_

The memory was as effective as a bucket of ice cold water being poured on me. My stomach twisted at the thought of what I had to do. When Yondu's lips began to trail down my neck and further south, I forced myself to get back on track. It was a struggle, lemme tell ya.

"Um, Yondu," I began, my voice wavered. I'd never received this kind of attention before and I gotta admit I _sprekin'_ loved it. "Yondu –," A sudden gasp escaped me when his pelvis bucked against mine. It was like stars exploded in my head. Hundred of 'em.

The arm wrapped around my waist shifted so that his forearm supported some of my weight and his other hand quickly disentangled itself from my hair. "Better get in here quick before we give my crew a show, huh?" he sniggered as his now free hand reached for the panel next to the door and pressed his palm to it.

The door opened, which meant I no longer had anything for my back to be braced against. We fell with him on top of me and I once again felt _all_ of him and I gotta say I was not about to complain. Our sudden tumble struck both of us as hilarious and we lay there laughing uncontrollably.

"You alright?" he asked when speech was possible again.

"I thought you promised you wouldn't sweep me off my feet," I giggled. Yeah, that's right. _Giggled._

Yondu lifted his upper body onto both forearms as he aimed a look of feigned perplexity down at me. "Nah, darlin', I just promised I wouldn't whisk ya away."

"There's a difference?" I snorted and succumbed to a giggle fit again. Yondu's toothy grin returned and he lowered his mouth to the hollow of my throat. With him on top of me, I was in even greater danger of crossing the Line and I couldn't allow myself to indulge in the pleasurable jolt that shot through me at the new positions we'd found ourselves in. Just feeling his weight on top of me was oddly comforting. I felt his fingers reach for my belt buckle.

 _Get a move on, Lydia!_

Um, how about get a move on, Yondu?

 _Lydia Christine Brosh, you get your tookum off that floor and get those engine parts like you came here for! Remember your sick mother at home?Hmm?_

Sometimes my brain can be such a _marg._

I grasped Yondu's wandering hands and smiled when he looked at me questioningly. "I hate to do this to you, Prince Charming, but could you spare me a few minutes to freshen up first?"

His brow furrowed. "What's that?"

"I've been out and about all day and I'm not exactly presentable –,"

"You look temptin' enough tah me, darlin'," he said. His head dipped to pick up where he left off kissing me just above my cleavage.

My hand darted up to his chin to stop him. "But I won't be able to enjoy myself if I'm feeling like all kinds of grimy and yuck," I told him.

His red eyes glanced towards his bed then back at me. "Ya picked the darndest timin'," he grumped.

"I know, I know; I'm really sorry."

He pushed off from the floor, deliberately brushing his pelvis against mine (and I know he did it on purpose because the blue jerk _scarrin'_ smirked at me when he did it!) and extended his hand to me. "Ya better not take too long, girly." He hauled me to my feet and pulled me so close that our faces were barely an inche apart. "Cause if ya do I'm comin' after ya and dragging you in here."

I smiled. "Promises, promises," I whispered and gave him a peck on the nose. I went to walk past him when his grip on my hand tightened and he reeled me back in.

"Ya didn't just pick-pocket me, didja? Makin' a run for it now?" His tone was only partly serious as he patted at his coat pockets with his free hand. Twist the knife even deeper in my heart, why don'cha?

"Geez, Blue, have a little faith in me, huh?" I leaned in and kissed his lips as gently as possible. It was a complete opposite to the kisses he'd given me. His were charged with lust and mine …. I was trying to apologize for what I was about to do to him through that kiss. "I'm so sorry," I wanted to say. His grip loosened on my hand as he became receptive to the softness I was giving him. I sensed the uncertainty in him as he tried to match me. Had he never been kissed like this before?

I was in danger of loosing focus again. I slipped out of his hold and sashayed out the door. "Mind telling me which way to the showers?" I think I might have momentarily broken the Ravager. He stared blankly at me for a moment and didn't respond until I cleared my throat. "Um, showers?"

He shook himself. "They're, uh –," he leaned his upper body out the doorway and pointed down the opposite end of the hall we'd come by. "Go all the way to the end of this hall and take the left."

"What'll happen if I take a right instead of a left?" I asked with a teasing lilt and pressing up against him.

He grinned down at me, arms wrapping around my waist while his hands wandered below my belt. "I'd be mighty curious to see you try taking a shower in the hangar bay."

As my father used to say; bingo! I reached behind me and took hold of his hands, bringing them between us. "I'll be right back," I promised.

As I made my way down the hall, I glanced back at Yondu. He was standing in the door way with his hands gripping the upper metal frame as he leaned forward to watch me. "Walk faster, woman! I haven't got all night!" he called out with another toothy grin.

Stifling a laugh, I began to jog to the end of the hall and turned to the left just as he instructed. I slowed my jogging and tiptoed back the way I came until I was just at the edge of the hall opening. I counted to ten and peeked around the corner at Yondu's door. He'd gone back inside his room. Dashing across the hall to the right corridor entrance, I put my back to the wall and listened for any signs that I'd been spotted. I heard nothing. Once again I peered around the corner at Yondu's room and felt sick to my stomach. "I'm so sorry, Blue," I whispered. I turned and ran down the hall to the hangar.

I know what you're thinking. Okay, maybe I don't know _exactly_ what you're thinking but I'm pretty sure I know the gist of your thoughts on the whole. And you know what? I'd have to agree with you. The whole time I walked I mentally called myself every degrading thing in the galaxy and then some. I hated myself. In such a short time, I had genuinely come like the Ravager captain and there I was about to steal from him. Great way to meet a guy, right?

Maybe I was just fooling myself? Maybe I only thought I liked him because he was the first guy I'd kissed. Like I said before, I flirt to protect myself but I don't like to think of myself as a tease. I try to stay away from that kind of behavior because it could get me in trouble if I got a male too riled up. If I let on just how innocent I was to sex then that would put me in even more danger on Knowhere. So let I let them think I'm on the same level of worldly knowledge, let them think they can't fool me cause I don't seem naïve, don't engage too much but don't act timid. Be bold, be daring, be flirty, be safe. That was how I learned to act in order to survive and take care of my mom. But this was the first time I had ever taken flirting to the point of conning a man into thinking I'd have sex with him in order to steal. I felt dirty and the lowest of low. Even if he was a Ravager, he didn't deserve to be tricked like that.

The way to the hangar bay wasn't as simple as you think. It wasn't a straight run there, I had to guess a few times when I came upon some splits and once I had to double back. How the heck did the crew find their way around? Where were the signs! With each passing minute I knew I was closer to the moment when Yondu would be expecting me to arrive in his room or he'd become impatient and keep his playful threat about dragging me back. Only if he did end up finding me the threat wouldn't be so playful. Time was not on my side. Then again, it hardly ever was. Time was _scarrin'_ biased against me.

I guess most of the crew was off the ship because I only came across one other being while navigating my way down the halls. I had to duck into a corner to avoid detection and that was really my only near encounter. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy. What do I mean? Heh, you'll see.

When I arrived in the hangar, I was floored to see just how many M-ships the _Eclector_ carried. Enough for a small army it seemed! And it wasn't just M-ships, there were two Nova Corps Star Blasters, and two other ships, both different types, that I didn't recognize and that's saying something because when you live on a space trading port you see all kinds of ships.

Snapping out of my momentary awe, I ran to the closest M-ship and slid beneath its belly. From my bag I pulled out my spear and gave it a little twist near the base. It _click-clacked_ a bit as its size adjusted to easily fit in my hand and the metal spear-head gave a hiss as it separated and reshaped itself to resemble a ratchet. I was like a _scarrin'_ proud mother of my gadget. I silently thanked Malek for showing me how to replace parts on M-ships as I got to work on loosening some bolts. Without the experience in Malek's garage I never would have known what to do, but because I _did_ know what I was doing, it didn't take me long to locate and disassemble the necessary parts I needed. I stuffed them into my bag and was about to crawl out when I heard the echoes of boots on the metal gangway over my head.

 _Spek_ , I thought, scooting further beneath the M-ship. I moved as quietly as I could so that my upper body faced out so I could see while lying flat on my stomach. The metal floor chilled me through the material of my yellow tank top. I could see the gangway, but I could still hear whoever it was walking about up there. Could I make it to the door without being seen? There was no way of telling without sneaking a peak. I slid myself to the side, intending to use the M-ship's wing as cover. Once I was out from under the ship, I lifted my gaze to the gangways and spotted the crew member. His back was to me.

 _Okay, one shot at this._ I took a deep breath and darted towards the door.

 _Beep beep! Beep beep!_

I froze in the middle of the hangar bay as my time keeper announced my presence. I'd forgotten to erase the alarm I'd set to go off at midnight to rouse me in time for a temporary side job I picked up last week that involved unloading crates. Uselessly I slapped my hand over it to muffle the sound.

"Hey!"

Didn't I tell you that Time was biased against me?

I gave the crewman a wave. "Hi, I'd love to talk but I gotta run!" I sprinted for the door.

"Hey! Hey!" I heard the sounds of his boots rapidly hitting the stairs. "Captain! We have an intruder on the ship!"

The crewman must have had a communicator on him because I heard Yondu's scratchy voice respond. "Is it a woman, Halvi?"

"Aye, captain!"

"She's a guest –,"

"Why is your guest running when I caught her in the hangar?"

"She WHAT!"

I doubled my speed.

Remember when I was trying to memorize the path Yondu took me through? I remembered squat! I was totally lost, running blind, guessing at each turn. Apparently, Yondu still had a skeleton crew on board because more men had joined the first in chasing me.

"Got'cha!" A voice growled next to me as I came upon a hall to my right. I yelped and leapt out of reach when a hulking figure with marred flash and terrible body-odor lunged at me. He fell flat on his face and ended up tripping two of his crewmates which caused a slight delay and gave me a bit more distance.

I nearly tripped myself when I neared a corridor that my instincts told me to take. I grabbed the hall's corner and propelled myself inside. The hall looked vaguely familiar. I turned another corner and stopped dead in my tracks. Yondu leaned against the wall on one broad shoulder, arms folded over his chest, legs crossed at the ankles. He picked at his teeth as if he had nothing better to do. Despite his casual pose, he still managed to scare the _sprek_ out of me.

His crimson eyes looked at me with a predatoral intensity that made me want to back away nice and slow. "Looks like we ended up givin' the crew a show anyways, huh, darlin'?"

"Oh well," I said, trying to sound friendly and backing up a step at a time, "we tried."

Yondu snorted and this time it wasn't one of mirth. He straightened up and put his hands on his hips, his right hand moving aside the edge of his coat to reveal a holster of some kind. "Wha'd ya steal?" he seethed, his jaw twitching.

I'd successfully back to the very edge of the corridor. One side step and I'd be blocked by the wall. "Your heart?" I replied with uncertainty.

Yondu. Straight. Up. _Growled_.

I screamed and ran for it. I took the next passage and nearly whooped with joy when I recognized it. If I continued on this path, I'd reach the entrance that Yondu and I had gone through and I'd be out of the ship! Hope gave me the extra energy I needed to keep running even though my lungs were beginning to ache.

Rounding a corner, I saw the entrance was still wide open and no one there to stop me. I thanked whatever deity had blessed me. That relief was short-lived.

"There she is!"

The Ravagers had caught up, but I was too far ahead for them to catch me in time. Once I was past the threshold, I'd be lost in the crowd.

A shrill whistle pierced the air and something whizzed by me in a blur of red light. My steps faltered a bit in confusion but I forced myself to keep running. "You missed, captain," I heard Halvi say.

"Did I?"

That red blur of light hit a red button on a panel at the end next to the doorway and then whizzed by me again as if returning it's sender. From opposite sides of the door, thick sheets of metal began to slide to the middle. _"Spreeeeek!"_ I growled as I forced my steadily tiring limbs to move faster.

"Where ya goin', Cinderella?" Yondu called out mockingly. "We ain't even had a dance yet!"

My chance at escape was narrowing with each second. "You still want me that bad!" I hollered over my shoulder. The exit was dangerously narrow by the time I reached it. I doubted I could fit but couldn't afford to waste a second hesitating.

"She's goin' for it!" a crewman screeched. Yondu swore and I heard them quicken their pursuit. With a yell, I threw myself at closing door and tumbled to the gangway on the other side just as the entrance sealed closed. Fists slammed against the metal door and Yondu's muffled angry shouting could be made out about it. I chuckled, picked myself up and hurried towards the sea of beings in which I could blend in and vanish. My next stop? Malek's garage.

* * *

When the door reopened a minute later, Yondu pushed his way past his crew and scanned the crowd for a flash of red hair. Unfortunately there were so many damn colors everywhere it made it too difficult and the girl was probably long gone. With a growl, Yondu tore his gaze away and glared at his crew who were currently slumped in a pile, panting like dogs.

"Ya let 'er get away, you assholes!" he held back the urge to kick at the nearest ribcage at his feet.

"How'd she get on the ship in the first place?" Halvi asked, not meaning to sound accusing.

Yondu's face grew hot and he gnashed his teeth. "That ain't the point!" He turned and kicked at the ground, unable to control his desire to lash out anymore. His foot connected with something metallic that skidded a few feet along the ground. He looked down and saw something that looked like a ratchet but unlike any ratchet design he'd come across before. He bent over and picked it up, turning it this way and that. There was an L engraved at the base of the handle. _Lydia_. A big, wolfish grin spread along his face. "Looks like Cinderella left me a glass slipper after all."

* * *

Zeg met me at the back entrance of Malek's garage. I'd checked to make sure my tumble hadn't damaged any of the parts I'd swiped from Yondu and was relieved to find nothing wrong. Although I felt like something was missing from my bag. Had I dropped a part?

Zeg promised he'd take care of the transactions at the black market. I offered to go with him but he insisted to go alone. "I've done this before, Lydia. There is always the risk of the Nova Corps sending an undercover agent in and busting the whole operation. If you were to be arrested, who would care for your mother?"

I saw the truth in his words. I felt a bit cowardly letting him go alone but he'd made a point. After bidding him goodnight, I went home and greeted my mom with a big hug and kiss on the cheek. I was bursting with excitement. I turned on my music box and connected it to the ship's sound system. 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley expressed my mood perfectly.

I grabbed my mom by both hands and she laughed as I spun the two of us in circles. "We're going to leave Knowhere, Mom! We're leaving really soon! It's only a matter of days! And then we'll get you to a hospital and you'll get the help you need and –,"

I was like that for hours. Prattling on and on about how our new life would be, how we could go to Xandar like we'd planned from the start. Mom didn't say a word but she beamed at me the whole time. I think she understood in some way that things were going to be different in a good way.

As I got Mom ready for bed, my excitement had begun to wind down and Yondu entered my thoughts. My mood shifted and suddenly I didn't feel like singing along with Bob Marley. Mom liked it when I sang so I hummed 'Three Little Birds' instead while brushing her red hair. She took hold of my hand, stilling my strokes. "My girl," she said, her Threxian accent thickening the vowels. "Sad?"

I smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "No, Mom. Everything's gonna be alright now." She hummed happily and let me continue brushing her hair. I tucked her in to bed and got myself changed in some sleepwear. I kept seeing that look on Yondu's face when I ran into him in the hall. The look of fury when I'd jokingly said I'd stolen his heart. But I also remembered how he reacted to my kiss. He'd tensed up and then seemed to slowly accept that gentleness as if he weren't used to it. It broke my heart.

When I lay down in my top bunk, I held my pillow close to my face to muffle the sobs that wracked through my body as I replayed that kiss over and over again. Maybe I really had stolen more than a few M-ship parts from Yondu….

 **(Well, how was it? Good, bad, ugly? I hope you enjoyed it enough to look forward to a third chapter. Please let me know what ya thought about it. Until next time!)**


	3. Sail Away With Me

**[Song Suggestions for this Chapter: I'll try to only use music that was released during the time period that this story takes place, but sometimes there are songs that fit too well with a chapter and 'Sail Away' by Ben Hazlewood is one of those songs despite it being released in 2017. Give it a listen when Lydia is saying good-bye to her mom. I also suggest listening to 'Come Sail Away' by Styx towards the end of the chapter.]**

Chapter Three

Sail Away with Me

 _BANG!_

The metallic explosion that shook our ship jolted me awake. I was disoriented, my vision blurry, and I couldn't quite identify all the noises I heard. There were raised voices and boots stomping about, and then the door to our room was blasted away. Mom let out a terrified shriek in the bunk below me. That seemed to snap me out of my confusion. I attempted to clamber down the ladder to get to her, but hands latched onto my arms and legs and started pulling me out of the room. I struggled to get free. I caught a glimpse of Mom being dragged from bed and roughly shoved along behind me. "Lydia!" she cried out. My gut twisted.

My brain hadn't registered the red apparel of the men who had invaded our home but by the time it did, I was being shoved to the floor in the kitchen where a familiar figure lazily lounged at the table, his booted feet propped up on the small table-top. His right arm lay on the back of the booth-like seat as his left hand held up an object he was inspecting. My spear!

"Well, well, well. Looks like I managed to find Cinderella after all," Yondu drawled. His crimson eyes slid away from the spear and fixed on me, a smug grin revealing those crooked, sharp teeth.

"Hello, Prince Charming," I greeted without enthusiasm.

"Aw, now is that any way to greet visitors?"

"No, but I believe it's the appropriate response to those who _scarrin'_ blow up my door and drag me out of bed!"

Yondu's smirk turned up one corner of his mouth as if he found my response adorable. "I take it you ain't a mornin' person?" He began to fiddle with my gadget and I couldn't help but ask.

"How did you get that?"

"You left it behind when ya dove out the portal of my ship. I used it to track you down, princess."

" _How_?"

He glowered at me. "I'll be askin' the questions, darlin'." His eyes shifted to my right, momentarily focusing on Mom. He pointed the spear at her. "Who's this?"

"Let her be," I snapped. I got a knee in my back as a result.

"Watch your mouth, girl!" a scaly-skinned Ravager hissed at me.

"Lox," Yondu growled. Lox glanced up at his captain and didn't say another word to me.

"If you're here for the parts I took from you, you won't find them. I already got rid of them."

"Oh you mean these parts?" Yondu hauled a large bag up from the seat next to him and dropped it on the table. He grinned as he watched the shocked expression on my face morph into dread.

"What did you do to Zeg?" I asked, my voice quivering.

"The green-skinned fella? See, when you ditched me with nothin' but this here gadget, I went back to that Terran wares seller and asked him 'bout you. Said he didn't know much concernin' you just that ya came to his stall often." Yondu held up my spear, jiggling it back and forth a bit between his fingers. "But this little piece had a few parts he recognized came from a Mr. Malek's business."

I briefly closed my eyes as I imagined what happened next. Malek probably didn't waste any time telling Yondu everything about me.

"That Mr. Malek was a tough-nut. Me an' the boys held up his whole place and all he did was acknowledge that ya worked for 'im."

My mouth fell partially open. Malek didn't sell me out? The guy who dropped employees if he so much as heard a whisper of them being involved in dirty dealings? _That_ Malek? "Are you sure you were threatening the right Malek?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Dang sure. He wouldn't talk, even when I told my boys to ready their weapons to shoot everyone in the place."

My heart leapt into my throat.

"That Zeg fella piped up before I could even finish givin' the order. He was mighty cooperative, wasn't he, Kraglin?"

A skinny humanoid, the one I'd seen with Yondu the night before, leaned against the wall to my left and smirked at the question directed at him. "Sure was." I tossed him an annoyed glare and felt a bit surprised when I noticed just how young he looked. Probably a couple of years older than me.

"He nearly tripped over himself when he gave us back our stolen parts," Yondu went on, grinning at Kraglin as if they were recounting a hilarious story.

I clenched my fists. "Are they dead?" I asked, sharply. Yondu's attention went back to me, a blank expression on his face. "Are they dead?" I repeated more forcefully.

"No, they ain't dead. Zeg told me yer name, where ta find ya and I left it at that."

I let out a sigh of relief, despite knowing that Zeg, the only being I had considered a friend on Knowhere, had given me up.

"What's she lookin' at?" Kraglin suddenly asked from his corner. Yondu and I glanced at him and followed his gaze to my mom who was staring slightly to her right, eyes unfocused.

"No…" Not now. Not now! "No, no, no, no – Mom!" I tried to stand and Lox's hands firmly pushed on my shoulders to keep me in place. "Mom! Stay with me, allright?"

Yondu's brow furrowed. "That's yer momma? She don't look old enough to be yer momma – sister maybe, but –,"

I sent a snarl in his direction. "Now's not the time to be charming, Charming!"

He glared right back at me. "I ain't flirtin' I just –,"

I ignored whatever else he was going to say. Mom wasn't acknowledging my cries at all. The situation had upset her greatly and she was leaving me, going inside herself. I was being left alone to deal with the danger. "Mom, _please_ , stay with me!"

"What are you talkin' about, girl? She ain't movin'."

I shook my head, not looking at him as I answered. "She's sick, she – she goes away in her head." I reached out a hand to grasp Mom's arm and shake it. No one stopped me. I guess they were all curious about what was happening. Mom didn't seem to even feel my grip on her arm. I felt my chest constricting, my breaths becoming painful. Through it all I could feel Yondu's gaze on me, watching me, witnessing the panic etched on my features and listening to the pleading tone in my voice as I begged my mother to snap out of it and stay present. I hated being so vulnerable in front of the Ravagers but I was so scared because I was alone. I wanted my mom to hold me and tell me it would be allright.

Yondu's raspy voice cut through the pounding in my head. "You didn't steal those parts for yourself didja, girl?"

I refused to look up at him. Tears had gathered in my eyes and I didn't want him to see. Drops of water splashed on the metallic floor. _So much for hiding it_.

"Get out," Yondu growled. There was a moment of confused silence among his crew. "All of you, but Kraglin, get out. Wait outside." No one moved. "Did I stutter!" Yondu shouted angrily as he stood to his feet and moved the right side of his coat away to reveal something that made everyone go tense. "Get movin'!"

The crew hurried out of the ship and Kraglin moved to stand behind me and Mom. Yondu waited until the last Ravager was gone before he settled back into the seat. "Kraglin, take her momma back to their bedroom an' keep an eye on her." I clung to her arm, opening my mouth to protest but Yondu spoke before I could. "He ain't gonna hurt her unless ya do somethin' stupid, princess. I want to talk to ya alone."

Kraglin was surprisingly gentle as he helped Mom to her feet and led her away. I watched them until they disappeared behind the ruined portal door. Yondu cleared his throat. "Look at me, girl." Tears were still in my eyes and I kept my gaze turned away. "Hey!" His fist slammed on the table and I flinched. "I ain't gonna ask ya again. Next time I'll come over there and make ya look at me."

I looked at him, hating that he was seeing me cry. Something about his face seemed to soften a bit. I think it was the way he clenched his jaw, like he eased up on it as he took in my tears.

"I gave you a chance back on my ship – hell, I gave you plenty of chances to come clean to me –,"

"And I wanted to," I whispered.

"What's that?"

"I said I wanted to."

"Then why didn't ya?"

I gave him a half-hearted, sardonic smile. "Because when have Ravagers ever been known to be charitable?"

He didn't answer that. His jaw twitched again as he clenched and unclenched it. "Give it to me straight, girl. This is yer absolute last chance and if I get the feelin' you're bein' false with me," he pointed towards the hall leading to the bedroom, "ya ain't gonna like what happens. Got it?"

I swallowed and nodded. "Loud and clear."

He settled back in his seat. "What's yer story, Cinderella?"

So I told him. I gave him a brief summary of how I came to be on Knowhere and the struggles I faced since. I told him how Mom's illness had gotten to the point that I knew I needed to seek professional help fast. I told him about Zeg's tip-off about the Ravager vessel full of M-ships.

"I've never stolen before in my life. I didn't want stuff like that to come back and haunt me but when my mom started to go days without talking I knew I had to get the money quick." I tilted my head at the bag of parts on the table. "Those parts alone would have provided enough units to get two tickets out of Knowhere and at least get us a head start to pay for some sort of medical treatment for my mom."

Yondu stared at me, his face unreadable.

"I'm sorry," I said and meant it. "I didn't want to steal from anyone, but when I heard it was a Ravager ship it kinda made the guilt a little more bearable since you guys steal all the time." I chuckled a little to try to ease the tension. Yondu didn't so much as crack a smile. I cleared my throat and went on. "But then you and I got to talking and…" It was hard to look him in the eye, but I didn't dare avert my gaze now. "I ended up liking you. I enjoyed bantering with you and it made me sick to my stomach when I left you to sneak off to the hangar bay."

I was met with silence. It was so quite I could hear the ship creak as it settled. He hadn't moved from his slouched position and those crimson eyes never wavered from me. It made me nervous being the center of such unyielding attention. Finally, after a few more seconds had ticked by, Yondu tilted his head to the side as if to study me at a different angle. "Ya got any younger siblings?" he asked.

The question made me wrinkle my nose at how off topic it was. "Um…no."

"So it's just been you and yer momma? Ya ain't got anyone else to help ya take care of her?"

"This is _Knowhere_. The only person I trust on this _glom_ space mine to take care of her is myself."

* * *

 _Girl's got some smarts_ ,Yondu thought. He pursed his lips as he looked her over once more. _She's also got a nice rack but let's not get too distracted now._ See, Yondu had an idea he was considering. He was weighing the pros and cons of it.

Two months ago, he'd acquired a young Terran boy on his ship. The kid was too young to let run around the _Eclector_ and he didn't trust half his crew enough to assign one to watch him. Hell, even if he did trust them he doubted any of them had a shred of parental or care-giving skills to do the job. During the first few weeks Yondu tried to talk to him. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he figured that since the boy was going to be a permanent addition to his crew, he might as well get some necessities out of the way. It didn't go too well. The kid clamed up and flinched every time someone went near him.

After about a month, Yondu decided to just ignore the kid and let him be which seemed to suit the little Terran just fine since he somehow found a way to scurry about the ship without being seen. It was around the beginning of month two that on the occasions Yondu _did_ happen to catch a glimpse of him, he may have gotten a bit concerned with the kid's health. The boy was starting to have a wired look to him and dark shadows were developing under his eyes. He'd been skinny when Yondu picked him up but the Ravager was fairly sure he'd noticed the kid's clothes seemed a bit baggier on him. After asking around amongst the kitchen crew, no one could say for certain if the kid ever came to the mess hall for food. After that, Yondu knew something had to be done, he just didn't know what. That was until a certain little half Terran red-head appeared who just so happened to have been taking care of people since she was eleven. She'd shown some skills in conning people and she _had_ almost been successful in getting away with the theft….

* * *

I was getting real nervous with the way Yondu was staring at me, not moving or saying anything, so when he suddenly got to his feet and loudly spoke up I just about squeaked in surprise.

"Tell ya what, girl." He leisurely strolled away from the kitchen table and went to circling me. Since I was still kneeling on the floor I didn't like this very much. At all actually. He picked up on my discomfort and smirked down at me. "Seeing as how I'm in a bit of a forgivin' mood, I've got a proposition for ya."

I eyed him suspiciously. He didn't strike me as the type to forgive so easily. "What is it?"

His attention was on my spear again. He tested the sharpness of the tip with the pad of his thumb before returning his gaze to me. "Remember that Terran I told ya about?" I nodded. "Well, he needs some looking after."

"Is he sick?"

Yondu hesitated. "He might be. Won't let us get too close to 'im to find out and none of us is real knowledgeable 'bout Terrans an' their health. Since you're half Terran and ain't so mean-lookin', he's liable to let you help him. Bottom line, sugar, I'm offering you a spot on my crew to be his care-taker until he no longer needs to be look after."

I snorted. "Riiight. And the moment my services are no longer needed you shoot me in the head and dump my body in the nearest black hole."

Yondu shook his head. "We'd go our separate ways; no harm done. Give ya my word."

It didn't sound too bad, but then again I'd be on a ship full of Ravagers until the Terran was well. And what if the Terran wasn't a pleasant guy to be around? I'd seen how being ill could affect the personality and turn people cranky and mean.

"And what if I refuse?" I asked, testing the waters.

Yondu let out a familiar, shrill whistle. A flash of red light momentarily blinded me and I blinked away the spots swimming in my vision. An arrow made of some unidentifiable metal and a glowing-red tail was hovering near my face. Yondu crouched down to my level, a smug smile curling his lips. The red fin on his head was pulsing with red lines within the metal-work. "I don't take to being made a fool of too well, princess," he answered in a low tone. His lips formed a small 'o' as a very short whistle made the arrow move an inch closer to me. He grinned. "So what'll it be?"

What's a girl to do, right?

"Okay, but on a couple of conditions."

Yondu chuckled. "You ain't in no position to be bargaining, darlin'."

"Yet you're the one forcing me to say 'yes' to your deal so just how badly do you need me to take care of your Terran friend?" It was a risk, I'll admit it, but when his smirk turned a bit sour I knew I was right. "I get paid for this job." He sneered a bit and I plowed on before he could interrupt. "Half of my pay will go to my mom to cover her treatments at the best hospital suitable for her condition; which you will take us to. Also, if anything happens to me while I'm with you and your crew, you'll make sure she's properly taken care of."

The whole time I spoke, Yondu was frowning. Oddly, I found myself missing his smile. You know the one that didn't look like he was plotting my demise.

"Fine," he finally ground out. Another short, shrill whistle sent the arrow back where it came. He extended his hand. I held out mine and we shook. He grumbled under his breath as he straightened to his full height. "Little connivin', schemein'…."

* * *

Less than an hour later, Yondu was escorting the two women onto the _Eclector_. He'd already sent word to the crew about the new addition to their numbers and to prepare for a quick stop at the planet Threxia. Back at her home, he and Lydia had spent five minutes entering Ms. Brosh's symptoms into Kraglin's info disk to find out which hospitals specialized in her condition. Among the top five hospitals listed two of them were located on Lydia's home planet.

After she chose which one to take her momma to, Yondu sat back and waited impatiently for the girl to pack for herself and her momma. At first he'd barked at her to hurry up but soon found himself observing how Lydia went about the task and conversed with an unresponsive momma.

"Should we take the blanket, Mom? … I guess not, they'll have blankets where you're going anyways. I know you'll want your blue dress with you so don't worry I'll get it for you. … You're not partial to any of the mugs are you? … Nah, I didn't think so. I was more of the coffee drinker between us…Where's your necklace – oh, you're wearing it. Good. …Momma, stay right here, I need you right here."

Hell, just listening to her prattle on as if it was normal made his chest twinge a bit. An unexpected pang joined the tightness in his chest when he realized that this _was_ normal for her. She'd had to do everything since she was eleven. From making breakfast in the morning even to making conversation between her and her momma.

The girl was efficient with her packing, didn't spend much time over choosing what to take either. Not like they had much in the first place. He'd gotten a look around the ship they'd made into their home and saw how bare it was. Yondu got the feeling Lydia had glossed over just how badly she needed units to _survive_. _Of course_ she was scrapping by; it was all on her shoulders to earn the units, wasn't it. _You had to be the momma, didn't ya, girl?_ Yondu stomped down on the little pest called sympathy and kicked it to the curb.

Two travel cases held everything Ms. Brosh needed and the girl carried only one, granted it was a bit larger than her momma's cases. She also had the bag he'd seen her with at the market slung on her shoulder. As Yondu led the women to the ship's bridge Yondu thought that Ms. Brosh would have the same reaction as her daughter did upon seeing the enormity of it, but was slightly miffed when not even that broke her unresponsive spell.

The crew who were stationed to work on the bridge all saluted their captain when he arrived. The sounds of fists pounding twice over their hearts were heard. A few cast curious looks at the Brosh women trailing behind him. He jabbed a finger at a spot near his chair. "Stand there," he growled.

Lydia set her case down where he'd indicated and pointed at the floor. "Right here?" She shifted one step to her right. "Or did you mean here?"

Yondu bared his teeth as he sneered and pointed the gadget at her. "Don't push it, girly."

"Any chance I can have my spear back soon?" she asked him.

That earned a short burst of sardonic laughter from him. "Not likely."

"It's not like you even know how it works," she mumbled.

His temper flared and he turned towards her, eyes sparking. "What's that?"

She pulled an innocent face. "Nothing."

"Ship's ready, sir," Reagan, one of the _Eclector_ 's pilots, announced from his co-pilot chair.

"Get us out of here," Yondu ordered and turned away from Lydia to observe the ship's departure. Five minutes in and so far so good.

"Mom, no, he said to stay here!"

Hadn't even said it aloud and already he'd jinxed it! He jerked his head around to see Lydia hurrying after her mother who was running towards the bridge's windows. For a brief moment he thought the crazy woman was going to fling herself against the glass in an attempt to escape. Not that he would have had to worry about her breaking the glass since the material it was made with could withstand a hell of a lot more force than what the scrawny Threxian woman could inflict. But she didn't keep running, she halted just a few steps from it and gazed out at the sights.

When she'd caught up to her mother, Lydia seemed to hesitate a moment but then steeled herself and placed her hands on Ms. Brosh's shoulders. "C'mon, Mom."

Ms. Brosh shrugged off her daughter's hands and made noises of protest, her eyes refusing to look away. Yondu ground his teeth in annoyance. He didn't have the time nor the patience for this. His boots thunked against the metal floor as he stomped over. "What's she doin'?" he asked harshly.

Lydia turned to look at him and shrugged helplessly. There was confusion in her green eyes and he didn't like seeing it there. He also didn't like the fact that he didn't like seeing her look so uncertain and scared. "I don't know, she's –,"

Ms. Brosh suddenly lifted a hand and pressed her fingertip to the glass, pointing at the retreating space mine called Knowhere. "Leaving," she said, cracking a smile.

A tiny sound escaped Lydia prompting Yondu to glance at her. She gave a tight smile, ignoring his narrowed eyes, and stepped next to Ms. Brosh. "Yeah, Mom…just like I promised we would."

Yondu rolled his eyes. _Sentiment_. "Ya'll get back to yer spots an' sit down."

Lydia frowned. "On the floor?"

"Yeah on the floor, you see any seats there?"

"You can't offer us a place to sit?"

"Just did. The floor."

Lydia scoffed and shifted her weight so that her left hip jutted to the side as she folded her arms and glared at him. His attention briefly flicked from her hips to the way her breasts were pushed up by her arms. He told himself he was distracted by all the freckles the girl had. When they'd met at the market she'd been wearing a jacket. Now she was bare-armed and Yondu discovered she had freckles all over, not just her face and neck. He'd never seen skin like hers before. If the previous night had progressed like he'd wanted it to, he probably would have said that to her. A brief image of what could have been flashed in his mind.

Their clothes scattered about the floor, the two of them lying in his bed afterwards, her red hair splayed out on the pillows, his fingers tracing her bare back as he marveled at all the speckles – _Aw hell_ …

"Reagan, how many space jumps to Threxia," Yondu suddenly barked. He turned on his heel and marched to the captain's chair.

Reagan saw the look on his captain's face and was already typing the code to transfer navigation control to Yondu's consol. "About twelve, sir," he answered promptly.

"Let's get started then, boys." Yondu grunted as he plopped in his seat and placed his hands on the well-worn controls. "Ladies," he called out in a sickly-sweet fashion. "Would you be so good as to _sit yer asses down like I done told ya to_!"

Lydia flinched and quickly took hold of her mother's elbow, pulling her away from the windows. "C'mon, Mom. We can't stay right here. C'mon."

She resisted a little a first but after a second attempt, she reluctantly backed away and followed her daughter. Yondu waited until Ms. Brosh was seated. He may have put more force than necessary on the thrusters before Lydia had a chance to sit down. She stumbled and fell to her side. An icy green glare was fired his way and he met it with a cheeky, crooked grin.

 _Yeah, baby, I'm gonna make yer life hell and I'm gonna love every minute of it._

* * *

To say I was having second thoughts about accepting the job would be pointless because to have second thoughts would imply that one was at ease with the decision at some point. May I remind you I was forced into this? By arrow point!

I sat by Mom, rubbing my sore elbow after a rude introduction to the metal floor. Just my luck to have ticked off a Ravager captain with a petty streak. We'd been traveling for about two hours and Yondu was either very focused on flying the ship or he was pointedly ignoring our presence. Others were having a hard time doing so. I kept catching quick glances being tossed in our direction; saw some exchanging whispers with each other. I suppose they were wondering which of us was going to be their newest crewmate; the crazy woman or the younger, freckled chick who had stolen from them.

All too soon we exited the final space jump and Threxia loomed into view. Seeing it again after so many years made my heart clench. We'd finally made it home and I wouldn't even get to spend one night there.

"Kraglin and Halvi, you'll be joinin' us."

"Aye, captain," Halvi's voice answered.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when a shadow broke off from a far corner to my left. My mouth fell open. Apparently I had been too busy trying to escape the ship last night to have noticed the appearance of the one who had caught me. This guy was huge, I mean _scarrin'_ _huge_! He had to have been nearly seven feet tall! He was all muscle but not in the bulky sense, he was built like a warrior. His skin was black, blacker than ink, blacker than an abyss and his eyes were colored to matched. When he spoke, his teeth shone like pearls.

"Nice to see home again," he said, gazing at the planet fondly.

My jaw ached from letting it hang open but that didn't stop it from attempting to widen at his words. "You're from Threxia?" I finally managed to ask.

He turned his head to face me. "I am. I once was a member of the Niktanyas tribe in the southernmost part of the planet."

The southernmost part of the planet? That was where most of Threxia's caverns were located and the people who lived in them were mysterious and rarely seen. They didn't socialize with outsiders very often but those who were come across were hospitable. Most Threxians referred to them as whole as darkness dwellers. I'd been fascinated with stories of darkness dwellers as a child. I couldn't contain my excitement. "Dude! I'm from here!"

Halvi quirked an amused eyebrow at me. "Really?"

"Stop chattin' an' get movin'!" Yondu shouted, already halfway out of the bridge. I hurriedly stood to my feet and was relieved when Mom got up without my prompting her. I grabbed her cases only to have them taken from me by Halvi. He held them as if they weighed nothing.

"It'll be faster if I carry them, _squig_ girl," he said.

" _Squig_? I'm not _squig_ ," I protested, a bit insulted.

"Don't make me come back there and get you!" Yondu threatened.

I couldn't help it. "Promises, promises!" I shot back. The rapidly approaching thud of his boots got me moving forward. I met his angry scowl with a pleasant smile as I walked past him. "I thought we were in a hurry, captain?" Yondu spat a few curses at my back as he changed directions and swiftly stalked by me to be in front again. I glanced back to check on my mom. Kraglin was leading her by the arm behind us. There was something about the way he held her elbow that struck me as a bit sweet. Maybe Kraglin wasn't as rough as the rest of the crew?

* * *

Sitting in Yondu's M-ship was awkward. It was a thirty minute flight from the _Eclector_ to Threxia's surface and no one had said a word. Well, I had jokingly suggested for some tunes to be played but all I got was a sneer from Moody Blue so I didn't attempt to make conversation after that. We'd already contacted the hospital and were informed a small medical team would be there to meet us. Yondu had only brought me along because I needed to be present to sign for my mother's care.

When we landed, Kraglin and Halvi were the first to their feet and were quickly moving towards the exit. I sat up and stretched, arching my back as I did so. Yondu moved to exit his chair, his torso twisting to his right and his hand gripping the side of his chair's backrest to pull himself up, when he suddenly paused. Those crimson eyes of his were fixed on me. Or more specifically, they were focused on how my breasts where thrust out while I arched my back. I stayed like that for a few seconds longer than necessary, waiting for him to realize I'd caught him staring. When he did, the scowl returned and he grumbled as he pulled himself out of his chair.

The ramp was lowering when Mom and I made it to the back. Halvi and Kraglin held their guns at the ready and Yondu moved the right side of his coat to reveal a holster. The metal arrow from before rested snuggly inside.

"Are you expecting trouble?" I asked, already positioning myself to shield my mom.

Yondu glanced back at me, his taking in my defensive stance, and then returned his attention to the ramp. "We're Ravagers, princess. We always expect trouble." He then proceeded to confidently swagger out of the ship. "Hey, there, ladies," he called out. Kraglin gestured for us to follow him and Halvi covered our backs. I grasped Mom's hand and threaded our fingers together as we descended the ramp.

The sunlight nearly blinded me. I shielded my eyes until my sight returned. Looking around I saw to my left a vast metropolis with towering buildings that reflected the sun's beams. The hospital appeared to be located at the very outskirts of the city. Yondu had landed us on the hospital's roof and looking to my right I saw a large garden with patients sitting on benches or walking its paths.

Mom spotted the garden and started to walk towards it. I held her hand tightly and tugged her back. "You'll get to see it soon, Mom," I promised her. She shuffled back to me but still kept her gaze on the trees and flowers. It killed me seeing the longing in her eyes.

The ladies Yondu had greeted were the two nurses of the medical team. A few other personnel stood off to the side, watching us warily. Yondu had cozyed himself up to the side of a female nurse as he and the male doctor were engaged in discussion. He had an arm slung around the petite nurse's shoulders. "You the one who's gonna be lookin' after Ms. Brosh?" he asked, giving her a sly grin.

"M-me or Nurse Drissella over there," she stammered. The poor woman looked like she couldn't decide if she wanted to run away or giggle. I couldn't blame her. Yondu looked scary and intimidating but once he flashed that smile he was down right charming.

Yondu thrust an arm out towards us. "Well there she is, yer newest resident!" he announced. He disengaged from the nurse and strutted towards us. I could tell he couldn't wait to get back on the ship. "Get the girl to sign those documents and we'll be gone."

It felt like a knife was nicking away at my heart as he said it so carefree. I was about to leave my mother all alone to be looked after by strangers. I had no idea how long it would be before I saw her again. Another thought, more painful than the last, shoved its way maliciously to the front of my mind. _What if she doesn't even notice you're gone?_

I barely registered the doctor standing in front of me, holding a holo-pad to me. "Just press your thumb on the scanner at the bottom and we'll take it from here."

Surely there was more to do than that? Had we really gone over everything before we got here? I'd been so insistent about going over every detail with Yondu, he'd been surprisingly accommodating about that, now I know why. It was so he would be able to make a quick drop off and whisk me away. But there was no happily ever after waiting for me on the _Eclector._

My hand trembled as I pressed me thumb to the scanner and it gave a chime once my print was accepted. The doctor offered me a comforting smile. "Your mother will be well looked after and you'll be given progress updates weekly."

"Only weekly?"

"Well, if you're traveling constantly it may be a bit difficult to always be in reach of a signal, yes?"

"I … guess."

"Ya got what ya need, doc?" Yondu broke in. I wanted nothing more than to slug him again.

"Yes, Captain Udonta. Will you be leaving now?"

"Just as soon as this li'l thing get's a move on."

I whirled around and glared at him. "Could you have a moment of decency and let me have a chance to say good-bye?" I hissed. He held up his hands in mock surrender and backed away a few steps. I turned to my mom and felt my heart grow heavy. "Momma?" She was still looking at the garden. I gently took hold of her chin and made her look at me. "Momma, I need you to try to understand, okay?" She kept eye contact with me so that was a good sign.

"Momma, I have to go away for a little while but you're going to be safe here. The people here are going to take good care of you and help you in ways I couldn't." My throat constricted painfully and I swallowed. "I'm going to try to keep in touch. Don't…" It was silly to say it because I knew; deep down I knew that she wouldn't. "…Don't worry about me, Momma." I kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly. "I love you." I almost thought I was imagining it when I felt her arms encircling me back.

"My girl…be safe."

I nearly broke down right there. By some miracle I didn't. I felt her pull away and I hastily wiped away my tears. When I looked up I was shocked to see my mother wasn't standing in front of me. She was approaching Yondu.

* * *

The Ravager stood with his hands on his hips and caught the petite nurse's eye. He gave her a wink and grinned when she quickly looked away, her cheeks turning bright pink. When he turned his attention back to Lydia and her momma, he got a slight surprise. Ms. Brosh was walking straight towards him with a peculiar expression on her face. He quirked an eyebrow at her when she stopped less than a foot in front of him.

"Can I help you, missy?" he asked sarcastically.

"You," Ms. Brosh said, her accent making the vowels sound heavy. It suddenly occurred to him that Lydia didn't sound at all like her momma. "You," she repeated, poking him hard in the chest, "keep her safe." Yondu noticed her eyes didn't look as dazed as before, they actually looked a bit determined. She jabbed her finger into his chest again, not at all bothered that he towered over her and looked like he could snap her in half. " _Promise_."

Looking over the woman's head, he saw Lydia watching with a mixture of apprehension and wonder. She held herself as if she weren't sure whether or not she needed to come over and guide her momma back to the doctors or see how it played out. He received another sharp jab when he took too long staring at Lydia. "Promise." Ms. Brosh repeated, a bit more urgently this time.

A wave of annoyance came over him as he redirected his gaze to the little woman before him. How dare she demand he protect her thief of a daughter who had conned him? The woman really was crazy! He owed these women nothing; _they_ were the ones who owed him! And yet…

He couldn't help himself. He snuck a peak at Lydia. It had been her eyes that suckered him in the first time and even at a distance, when she wasn't even looking at him, he felt that little pest called sympathy rear it's squashed head and he wasn't quick enough to kick it down in time to stop him what he did next.

He met Ms. Brosh's stare and nodded. "I give ya my word."

She narrowed her eyes searchingly at him and after a few seconds she 'hmmed' and gave a single nod of approval over whatever it was she saw there. Without another word she turned and walked unhurriedly back to her daughter. Yondu twisted around to look at Halvi and Kraglin. He gestured at the woman as if to ask, "What was that?" The two men could only shrug in response.

* * *

I was a bit too confused to ask what had happened when Mom returned to me. She smiled at me, her head titling to the side as if inspecting my appearance. Her hands went to the back of her neck and unclasped the blue-stoned pendant she was wearing. She transferred it onto me then stepped back and gave a giggle and bounced on her toes as she clapped happily at the sight. The necklace held no importance. I honestly can't even recall when we came by it but in that moment it was the most precious thing in the galaxy. I quickly embraced her and kissed her cheek. "I gotta go, Mom," I murmured. I let go and started walking as quickly as possible towards Yondu's M-ship. I didn't look back. I couldn't risk the possibility of seeing confusion on my mother's face as I left her behind. It would break me.

Yondu opened his mouth as I neared him. "Not one word," I spoke harshly, not even bothering to slow down. Yondu's jaw clamped shut and a scowl appeared as he fell into step with me.

"Halvi! Kraglin! Load up!" he ordered.

I climbed the ramp into the ship and crumbled into the nearest seat, my head dropping into my hands as I fought to hold back sobs that threatened to overwhelm me. Not in front of these men. Crying was a sign of weakness to men like these and they already saw me as such. I had to start changing the way they thought of me or else I wouldn't last. I may have left Knowhere, but the games I had to play in order to survive were still going to be in my life.

It didn't seem to take as long to get back to the _Eclector_ , but then again I did have my head down the whole way there. I didn't even realize we'd docked in the hangar bay until Yondu's raspy voice jolted me out of my stupor. "Quit yer nappin' and get a move on, girl!" My head jerked upright and I saw the three men had already risen from their seats.

I quickly stood and followed them out.

"Kraglin, get to the bridge and give orders for us to put some distance between us and this planet. Halvi, tell those idjits in ventilation to get their thumbs out their butts and get to fixin' the AC! It's hotter than hell in here!" The men hurried off to carry out their duties, leaving me and Yondu alone. "And you!" He whirled round and stabbed a finger at me. Rude. "You have got quite the responsibility on yer shoulders, girl."

"So you tell me," I sighed.

"Don't take this lightly, girl –,"

"Uh, I have a name. Remember, I told you what it was the other night and I recall you stating that you liked the sound of it."

"Shut up."

"Just reminding you," I said, shrugging.

His jaw twitched as he kept his eyes fixed on me. "If I don't see any improvement with Quill within -,"

"Quill?"

"The Terran's name. If I don't see any improvements within a week, you're getting shipped back to Threxia. Let's see how long those folks at the hospital will keep yer momma in her treatments when ya ain't got the money to pay 'em."

"What did she say to you?"

"…What?"

"My mom, what did she say to you?"

"Some crazy crap, I couldn't understand it."

"…Oh. Sorry about that."

"The only thing you need to be feelin' sorry about is if you slack off in this job. I might decide not to send ya back to Threxia if you end up being more trouble than you're worth." There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he said this and I inexplicably felt the corner of my mouth twitch upward.

"Oh yeah. And just what would you do to me instead?"

He leaned in. "I'd let the crew eat ya."

I blinked. "What?"

A sly, devilish smirk spread his lips and revealed those sharp teeth, reminding me of what he'd said when he had me pressed against a wall the other night. _"Well, darlin' ya ain't gotta look so scared. I ain't gonna eat ya. … Not just yet anyways." Sprek_ had he actually been serious about that!

I wasn't aware I'd been backing away until my lower back met the platform's guard rail. He had me trapped between it and himself and his grin widened maliciously as he leaned into my personal space. "My boys ain't never had Terran before or a Threxian. You bein' combination of the two, well," he clicked his mouth, "You look miiighty temptin' to them, darlin'."

It's moments like this where my brain stops working so my mouth figures it has to step in until the brain decides to resume control. "You should know all about that, right, Prince Charming?" I asked in as sultry a tone I could manage. _Nice, Brosh. Real nice. Let's antagonize the Ravager captain who may also be a cannibal._

I felt the bar dig painfully into my spine as Yondu pressed in on me, making me lean as far as I could without toppling over the railing. I needn't have worried, his hands clamped down onto my wrists, effectively pinning my hands to the rails. Something hungry sparked in his eyes and before I could figure out if it was desire or appetite, he paused and the hunger in his eyes dissipated. Anger flared within his crimson eyes and it was like seeing two tiny flames residing in his gaze. He gritted his teeth and pushed off the rail, storming away.

I straightened up and shouted at his retreating back. "Hey! Where's the guy I'm supposed to be looking after?"

He partially turned round and gave a vague wave of his hand. "He's somewhere's."

Apparently my mouth was still calling the shots. "Oh, very helpful! If that's how it's going to be then you may as well tell the crew that _Terran a la Threx_ is on the menu! I hope you all choke on my bones!"

Yondu didn't even turn this time when he lifted his hand and flipped me off. Unbelievable. I heaved an overly loud sigh and crossed the platform to solid floor and found a crate to sit on. My head fell into my hands.

"He told me the same thing when he brought me on the ship."

My head shot up. I looked around in confusion. Why was I hearing a little boy's voice on a Ravager ship?

"Up here."

I titled my face towards the metal piping that snaked all along the ceiling of the pathway surrounding the hangar. A small human face peered down at me.

"Hi," he greeted.

I slowly lifted a hand and waved at him. "…Hi."

"Is the blue guy gone?"

"Yondu? Yeah, he's gone."

"Cool." He shifted about and then dropped to the floor in front of me. He had curly reddish hair and looked so young; he couldn't be ten years old yet. The clothing he wore was odd and sported several grease stains. He wore some sort of a travel pack on his back and a contraption hung from his neck with a wire that dangled down and connected to a – no way! Was he carrying a music box!

I pointed at it. "I've got one like that," I said.

The kid's nose wrinkled in confusion then he followed where I was pointing. His hand went to where he'd clipped it on his belt. "You have a Walkman?"

Now it was my turn to scrunch up my nose. "A what?"

"That's what this thing is called."

"A Walkman?"

"Yeah. So you have one too?"

"Yeah, I got mine from a guy selling Terran merchandise. You?"

"I got mine from … my mom… back on Earth."

"Earth?... That's another name for Terra, isn't it?"

"I guess."

"So you're from Terra?"

"I was until that mean blue guy snatched me up."

It all started to click in my head. "What's your name?"

"Peter Quill."

 _Sprek_! A kid! Yondu said nothing about the Terran being a kid, and a very young kid at that! Too young to be letting wander around a ship without supervi…. Oh heck no! Nah-uh! Nobody said anything about me being a _scarrin'_ baby-sitter! This wasn't a simple job where I'd be taking care of an ill Terran and be delivered back to my mom in a matter of months; this was going to be _years_! I was going to be raising this kid!

I jumped to my feet and shouted out at the top of my lungs, "Yondu Udonta, you son of a _marg_!"

Peter blinked at me. "Are you okay?"

No I was not okay! I was the furthest thing from okay! "I'm fine."

"Oookay…. So what's your name?"

"Lydia Brosh." I stuck out my hand. "We're going to be hanging out a lot."

* * *

Peter had shadows under his eyes so when he told me I looked tired I nearly laughed. I didn't though. The fact that my first impulse was to laugh instead of voicing concern over his sleepless appearance was a sure sign that I really was exhausted, mentally and physically. I followed him down many hallways which I was too tired too even take notice of until we came to a stop in front of two doors. The door to my right opened at Peter's approach and he leaned against the frame. "This one's my room, or at least that's what the giant smurf told me it is when he shoved me in here after I kept kicking his crewmates' legs."

I smiled at the mental image of him bringing Ravager's low after a swift kick to the shins. "Anyway," he pointed at the door beside his, "that room's empty if you want it. Nobody uses it."

"Thanks." I stepped towards it and the portal door slid open.

"Hey, Lydia?"

I paused. "Yeah?"

"Could we be friends? You seem nice and I could really use one around here."

I really hit the jackpot on the number of heartbreaks I could receive in the span of twenty-four hours. "Yeah, Peter. We can be friends."

"Cool. Well, good night."

"Good night."

He ducked inside and the portal closed after him. I did the same. The room was surprisingly spacious. Or maybe it seemed that way to me after so many years of being in the sleeping quarters of a ship that was never meant to be lived in for as long as I and my mom did. The room had two oval windows, giving me a view of the stars. The bed had no sheets but there was a mattress with very minimal stains. I slowly lowered myself onto it and all the day's event came crashing down on me. There tears poured out of me and I wanted a pillow more than anything so I could drown out my sobs. No, not more than anything… I dug into my satchel and pulled out my music box. Hey, Peter could say they were called Walkmans all he wanted but I'll keep calling mine a music box, thanks very much.

I stuck in the ear buds and pressed play. The opening notes of a piano trickled out.

" _I'm sailing away set an open course for the virgin sea  
I've got to be free, free to face the life that's ahead of me  
On board I'm the captain so climb aboard  
We'll search for tomorrow on every shore  
And I'll try oh Lord I'll try to carry on…"_

My eyes drifted to the windows, at the stars glimmering outside. All those worlds and galaxies…

" _I look to the sea reflections in the waves spark my memory  
Some happy some sad  
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had  
We live happily forever so the story goes  
But somehow we missed out on that pot of gold  
But we'll try best that we can to carry on…"_

"Anywhere but Knowhere," I'd said…and here I was stuck on a Ravager ship.

" _A gathering of angels appeared above my head  
They sang to me this song of hope and this is what they said  
They said come sail away, come sail away  
Come sail away with me…"_

 **(I am so happy there are those of you who are enjoying this story! I am having so much fun writing it! I've been outlining future chapters for this and I'm already at twenty chapters with more to come. I hope this didn't disappoint you and that you'll still want to read more. Let me know, please. I really appreciate your reviews! Until next time!)**


	4. Playing with the Boys

**(Aside from thanking those who have favorited, followed, and reviewed this story, I don't have much to say, so let's just go ahead and skip to the song suggestions.)**

 **[Song Suggestions for this Chapter: Listen to 'Rescue Me' by Fontella Bass when Yondu's about to give Lydia a tour of the ship. 'Playing with the Boys' by Kenny Loggins should be played immediately after. 'I'm Not in Love' by 10cc is mentioned when to be listened to.]**

Chapter Four

 _Playing with the Boys_

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

 _Didn't I wake up to that sound the other night?_

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_ "Wake up, girl!"

 _Raspy voice. Odd accent. I like that accent. It's kinda hot. Where have I heard that accent?_

"Do I have to blast this door down too, girl!"

It suddenly came rushing back to me. _Oh sprek…_

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

I tumbled off the mattress, my brown leather jacket sliding off my chest and tangling between my legs which caused me to trip and face plant on the floor. More resounding 'bangs' vibrated against my door. I pulled my jacket free and tossed it aside to lunge for the control panel. Slapping my palm at it blindly, I felt a mixture of satisfaction and dread when the portal door opened. Yondu's hand was lifted in the act of delivering another bout of banging. A scowl was etched onto his blue face. _Just like I left him._

I drowsily leaned against the frame, the side of my face pressed to the metal and my eyes struggling to stay open. "Hey, Yondu." I covered my mouth as a large yawn overtook me. "What's up?"

His crimson eyes flicked up and down at me, eyebrows raised. Oh _glom_ , I must have looked a sight. My hair likes to do this thing where it expands over night and it's a battle to brush out in the mornings. Since I'd left my travel bag in the ship's bridge I slept in my clothes which were now sporting fabulous wrinkles. Yondu's gaze drifted to my right shoulder. I glanced down to see my tank top's strap had slid uselessly off my shoulder. I hastily pulled it back in place.

"Um –," I began but Yondu seemed to have snapped out of whatever disgust my appearance must have incurred because he cut me off.

"If that's how ya would have looked the night after I guess I should be grateful you conned me instead."

 _Ouch._ I schooled my features to look unimpressed. "Charming as ever."

"I take it you met the kid seeing as how you ended up in the room next to his."

I opened my mouth to deliver a tongue lashing for leaving out the important detail of Peter's age but he got a great big yawn instead. "You could swallow a planet whole with that big mouth," Yondu said. I was in mid-yawn so I was unfortunately unable to tell him where to shove it. It's probably for the best I couldn't.

When my yawn passed, I fixed him with the best glare I could manage so early in the morning. "You failed to mention how old he was."

"Did I?" He shrugged. "Oh well."

"Oh well? That's all you have to say? I thought I'd be on this ship for a few months!"

"I told you you'd be his care-taker until he no longer needs to be looked after."

"You twisted your words to make it sound like he was ill and it would be a temporary job!"

"It is temporary. You ain't gonna be here yer whole life. Just a couple of years is all."

"A couple of years? Do you know how old he is?"

"Young."

"He's eight. Eight years old. I found that much out from him last night. He's going to need me around for at least five years!"

Yondu leaned his shoulder on the wall and folded his arms. "Hm. That's a shame. Too bad you had a lot goin' for ya back home – oh wait," he snapped his fingers in feigned recollection, "Ya didn't really have anythin' to look forward to, didja? Except lookin' after yer momma. Ain't that right, princess?" He bared his teeth in a cruel grin, his red eyes practically glinting.

A sharp pang sliced at my heart and I swallowed back any retort I had. It was harsh, but true. I had nothing. Yondu gave a lop-sided smirk at my silence and pushed off the wall. "Get dressed; I'm gonna show you around the ship."

I finally managed to form words. "Isn't that something a captain would task a crew member to do? Ya know, since the captain's busy captaining and all?"

Yondu placed his hands on his hips and bared those crooked, sharp teeth at me in a stomach churning grin. "I wanted the pleasure of showin' you around myself, darlin'." I eyed him suspiciously and made no move to pull myself away from the door frame. "Get a move on, girl! I ain't got all day!"

I didn't break my gaze from him as I took two steps back and pressed the button for the door to close. Even after there was a barrier between us I continued to stare at the same spot. Whether it was because I didn't trust Yondu or my brain was still waking up and hadn't registered the closed door, I'll let you decide. I finally pulled away my gaze when I spent about thirty seconds feeling around for my travel bag next to the bed and I remembered that I hadn't brought it with me.

 _Well this is going to be awkward_ , I thought, slipping on my leather jacket and running fingers through my tangled hair.

When the door revealed me again to Yondu he furrowed his brow. "You look the same."

"Yeah, well," I grunted as I stretched and gathered my hair in one hand to start braiding, "I forgot my bag on the bridge last night and –,"

"Night cycle."

"Huh?"

"On this ship we refer to them as cycles since there ain't no real day or night in space. We keep to Xandarian time 'round here, so ya best adapt to it quick."

"Right. Gotcha."

"As for your bag, I had it taken to my quarters last night so no one would nose around in it."

I blinked in surprise, my hands going still. "That was actually thoughtful," I said.

Yondu rolled his eyes and turned, walking away. "I did it so ya wouldn't whine about yer stuff being messed with," he grouched.

"Ooof course you did." I sighed. I looked to the door next to mine. "Hey, what about Peter? Shouldn't I have him with me for the tour?"

"He already knows his way around. Stop yappin' and walk!"

I narrowed my eyes at the back of his head and lowered my voice so he wouldn't hear me. I pitched my tone to sound like an air-headed princess. "Why yes, I do find a lack of manners to be a major turn on and I will readily follow any man who orders me around."

"Brosh! Move!" He was losing patience with me. I grumbled and followed after him.

I finished my braid and secured it with a twice broken hair tie. "So, where do we get the grub around here?" I asked, picking up my pace so I'd be at his side.

"Mess hall. It's on the level above us."

"Is that our first stop by any chance?"

He gave me a side glance and smirked. "You hungry?"

"Starved."

"Too bad. Ya missed breakfast."

"Whaaat," I whined.

"Told ya, you best adapt quick."

" _Tsk_ , yeah, no kidding."

* * *

The rest of the day – excuse me, day _cycle_ – didn't get any better. Yondu was an absolute _borga_ the whole time. For those of you who haven't gotten a translator implant yet, _borga_ in Threxian loosely translates to mean 'jerk' in Terran. But _borga_ really doesn't even begin to cover how insufferable he was. Oh, he showed me around the ship alright, but it was how he conducted the tour that really grated on my nerves.

The _Eclector_ , as I've said before, is a huge ship. Ginormous! But he didn't treat it that way. Ooooh no, he made us practically fly by everything and gave me the bare minimum of explanations and descriptions for it all. For example, when he showed me the way to the training room, I had barely gotten through the entrance when he said, "This is the training room, it's where you train. Moving on." Then turned on his heel and began to walk out. I can't even tell you what all was inside the room because I didn't even get a proper glimpse. He grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me after him. He let go once we exit the hall, as if he didn't want to be seen touching me.

It was about the time I was climbing the seventh staircase within less than two hours that I caught the devilish grin on his face and realized that he was making the tour overwhelming on purpose! That son of a _marg_!

By the time we made it to the bridge, I was worn out, famished, parched, and thirty seconds away from strangling him with my bare hands! I probably would have done it if I hadn't been so out of breath.

"Didja get all that, princess?" Yondu asked, smiling smugly.

My eyes bugged out of my skull as I fought the urge to slug that near-perfectly square jaw out of alignment. Maybe that's why his teeth were so crooked; he'd earned one too many punches to the mouth?

At my silence and intense staring, Yondu chuckled maliciously and turned to approach his chair. "I got a few tasks for ya ta do before you hunt down that boy."

"And that would be?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Oooh, just a few small things."

* * *

It was _not_ just a few small things. The giant piece of engine equipment I was lugging around in my arms was nowhere near small! It seemed to gain weight with every second I carried it to the engine rooms at the very back of the ship. I became fairly certain that Yondu failed to mention the locations of any convenient lifts or zero-gravity equipment that would have made my trips – yes, yes I'd made the trek twice already – easier.

The first two times I'd made the trip down to the engine room was with a blue-skinned alien named Aerin. He and Yondu were not the same species though. Aerin's skin wasn't as deep a blue as Yondu's, nor did he have the broad and muscled build of his captain either. Instead of being bald, Aerin sported a head full of thick black hair. He also had pale gold eyes. He was part of the engine team and after making the trip with me a second time, he had to stay and work with the rest of the engine crew, leaving me to navigate my way back to the cargo hold and un-box the final piece they needed. Unfortunately it was the largest one and I didn't have Aerin to help me carry it. Not that he would have been much help since he was a bit on the scrawny side.

A glance around me revealed no nearby crewmembers to ask for assistance so I sucked it up and heaved the hulking metal object into my arms and thought, _I got this, no sweat._ Ten minutes later and sweat was dripping down my back. I was also very, very much lost. How can a ship that big not have signs posted at all the hall entrances and exits? How did the crew know where to go? How did anyone find anything in this place? Was I going to forever wander the ship, lost and hungry?

"Where are the signs! Why are there no signs! I need my signs!"

I came upon a three way cross section and paused. I had no memory of being here when I followed Aerin. Had we come here? Wasn't I paying attention? I was paying attention! I'm sure I was paying attention!

As I stood there, turning this way and that at the various entrances and wracking my brain to remember which path to take, the engine part gradually began to pull me down with it. I struggled to remain upright but the strength in my arms was running out and I soon realized it was a losing battle.

"Oooooh, _spreeek_ ," I groaned, feeling my upper body succumb to gravity. "No, no, no!" I was about to be acquainted with the floor. I had to get moving again. Picking the passage directly in front of me, I dragged my feet forward. My leg movements started to resemble a waddle and my descent continued. I hadn't even made it past the threshold when my body said, "Nope!" and I fell to the floor with a _thud_. "Ooooouch…"

* * *

It was Aerin who drew the short straw to come and find me. I'm being serious here, the engine crew literally drew straws to decide who'd come and find me. I was still lying on the floor, too exhausted to move except for rolling onto my back. I preoccupied myself by counting the number of tiny squares in the grating above my head and had gotten to the upper two-hundreds when I heard foot steps coming my way. I was saved!

* * *

"You want me to do what?"

"Go back to maintenance and help them fix the AC," Yondu stated, grinning.

"I was just in there! Why couldn't you have told me that while I was there!"

"Do you have a comm-link yet?"

"…No."

"Then that answers yer question, doesn't it?"

I stared daggers at him but it only seemed to amuse him to the point that I could tell he was holding back laughter. "When do I get one?" I asked with forced calmness.

"Weeell, it won't be ready until the end of the day cycle I should think." He stuck the tip of his tongue behind his front teeth, not even bothering to disguise the petty glee he was experiencing at my frustration.

"Fine," I said through clenched teeth. "Will that be all, captain?"

"For now. Lunch is in two hours."

I gave him a stiff nod and stomped off to maintenance.

* * *

Nobody in maintenance had a clue what they were doing! No wonder the AC wasn't working! I ended up having to teach those numbskulls how to do everything! I also ended up streaked with oil stains and remembered that my clothes were being held hostage by Yondu. Could my day get any better?

* * *

When lunch time rolled around, I nearly plowed over anyone that got in my way and collapsed with my food tray at an empty table. I went to grab my fork when I caught a glimpse of my hand. It was nearly covered with black smudges. I could only imagine how my face looked. Soooo attractive. _Phft_! I took out a rag I'd stuffed in my back pocket and tried to rub some of the black off of my hands.

I caught many crewmen looking at me, some sneaking glances, others blatantly staring. I searched their faces, looking for one in particular and not finding him. Peter wasn't there. A bellow of laughter that was fast becoming familiar to me caught my attention. Yondu sat at a table among members of his crew and was regaling them with tales of past exploits. I watched him as he spoke. He smiled as he divulged amusing moments in the story and yet … it didn't reach his eyes. Not like it did when he and I had first met and he thought I was an ordinary girl for him to flirt with.

Shaking off my ruminations, I returned to eating and scanning for Peter. He should have been in the mess hall by now. Finished with my food, I dumped my empty tray and made my way to Yondu's table. I scrubbed at my face and hands one more time before I wadded up the rag in my left fist and stood before him.

"Captain, if I may have a word?" I asked.

He spared me a passing glance. "Ya look like crap, Brosh."

"I have to disagree," one Ravager interjected after getting a look at me. "Even all smudged up she's still hot."

Yondu shot him a warning glare and turned back to me. "What is it?"

"I noticed that Peter isn't here. Do you know where he might be?"

"Isn't that the job I gave _you_? To be keepin' an eye on him?"

That was it. I'd had enough. "Oh, you're right, captain. When exactly did you want me to split myself in two so I could accomplish half the tasks you gave me as well as watch the kid?" I threw the dirty rag onto the table. "Next time you should give me fair warning cause splitting in two is a rather long process, but thanks for the clarification, _Captain Udonta._ " I turned on my heel and stormed out, not the least bit concerned of what Yondu would do to me later. I was going to find Peter.

* * *

I decided to check his room first. Knocking softly on the door, I called out to him. "Peter? Are you in there?"

"Yeah," came his muffled voice.

"Can I come in?"

It was quiet for a moment then the door opened. Peter gave me a passing glance before heading back to his bed and flopping onto it. He had on his headphones and held his music box – Walkman – in his hands. I entered the room and smiled at him.

"Hey," I greeted. He didn't verbally answer, just gave me a faint nod. I ventured to sit next to him on the bed. He tensed for a moment but when I didn't make any sort of move to do anything else, he relaxed. "Why weren't you at the mess hall? Aren't you hungry?"

As if to answer me personally, his stomach gave an audible growl. Peter clutched at his small belly and winced, embarrassed. "Yeah," he said.

"Then why didn't you go eat?"

Peter slid the headphones off and sighed. "I'm too scared to go in there."

"Scared? Why are you scared?"

"Because I'm so skinny and – and what if they try to eat me? Yondu said they wanted to eat me."

"So when do you eat?"

"I go to the kitchen when they're all gone. The food's usually put away by then but I find something else to eat if I can get to it. Most of the time I don't know if the stuff is something I _can_ eat because it's alien food and what if I could die from eating it?"

This kid was _scarrin'_ adorable. Part of me wanted to giggle at the look of anxiety on his face but worry won out as I realized that for two months Peter had barely eaten a full meal. I leaned in as if I were going to share a secret. "Well, if it's any help, I'm part Terran and I've eaten plenty of different food from other places and I haven't keeled over yet. The food they serve in the mess hall may look deadly but I'm still kickin'." I widened my eyes comically. "I _am_ still kicking, right? I'm not a ghost, am I? Hang on; let's see if my hands go through you!" I began to tickle him without mercy. Peter laughed as he wiggled and flopped about as he tried to escape.

"Well look at that; I'm solid," I said, withdrawing once I felt that I'd succeeded in brightening his mood. "So, not a ghost then." I pretended to wipe sweat away from my brow. " _Phew_."

Peter's eyes seemed to regain a spark in them and I noticed that his had a small ring of brown around the pupils. I remembered Yondu's remark about Peter and me having similar colored eyes. _"Got green eyes like you too. His ain't as pretty though…"_ Had it really only been two days ago that Yondu had been charming and flirting with me? It seemed like a different person.

Shaking off the memory, I glanced down at his music device and smiled. "So, what were you listening to before I came in?"

His hold on it tightened. "'I'm Not in Love' by 10cc.'"

"Never heard it before. Mind if I listen?" I didn't reach for the headphones, I merely turned my hand so that my palm was open and waiting if he decided to give it to me, but the way his fingers went white-knuckled around the box you'd have thought I'd just tried to snatch it from him. I closed my hand and let it fall to my lap. Did he think I was trying to steal it? To be fair, he'd only met me yesterday and I'd visibly gotten excited when I saw his music bo – Walkman.

"Look," I began, gently, "I have my own music box. So you don't have to worry about me stealing it, okay?"

Peter cringed, but his grip didn't let up. "Sorry. Some of the aliens on the ship tried to take it from me before."

I smacked my left fist into my open right palm. "Want me to bust some noses?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Nah. I already bit some of their fingers when they tried." Oh, I liked this kid. His thumb continued to stroke the buttons.

"It must be really special to you."

"Yeah."

"You said your mom gave it to you?"

"For my seventh birthday."

"And the tape?"

"It's a mix tape."

"I'd love to hear it sometime. I've got quite a few mix-tapes of my own if you ever want to listen to them."

"That'd be cool."

We sat in silence for a moment.

"You want to listen to that song?" Peter offered hesitantly.

"Sure."

I made sure not to reach for anything, only moving when the headphones were offered to me. The beat started off slow, almost laid-back, not at all like the barrage of electric guitar and drums that I was accustomed to listening to. After about a minute into the music, I glanced at Peter and smiled. "I like it," I told him.

His posture relaxed, as if he'd been afraid I wasn't going to like it. "I was listening to this song just before…" He swallowed and looked down at his Walkman. "Before Yondu took me."

I slid the headphones off. "Taken?" Now that I wasn't completely exhausted, I remembered Peter mentioning the other night that Yondu had snatched him up.

"Yeah, I was kidnapped by that blue jerk."

 _Kidnapped!_ Oh things were getting more interesting.

"Yondu says they wanted to eat me but he stopped them because he saw how quick I was and that I could be a good thief."

That just didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Why would Yondu kidnap a kid in the first place?

"How did he manage to kidnap you?"

Peter told me how he'd been alone outside of a hospital that night when a bright light blinded him and wind nearly deafened his ears.

"Where were your parents?"

"Never met my dad."

"And your mom?"

Peter's lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes became watery. _Oh_ … So that's why he was outside of a hospital. She must have been very ill to be at a hospital. I could just barely hear the music coming from the headphones but I made no move to put them back on.

"My mom's sick too. I would play music for her cause it seemed to help. The one she liked the most was 'Unchained Melody'."

"What do you mean music seemed to help?"

"There's something…wrong with her head."

"Cancer?" Peter's voice warbled.

I frowned at the foreign word. "I've never heard of that illness. She's mentally ill. The units I make with the Ravagers is going to help pay for her treatments at the hospital."

Peter's eyes lowered to his shoes. "Maybe you'll have better luck than I did."

"What do you mean, Peter?"

* * *

I stormed through the halls, distantly surprised I was able to find my way back to the bridge without getting lost. I was a woman on a mission, my blood boiling with fury that was directed at one person.

"Yondu Udonta!"

He looked up at me with a scowl as I entered the bridge. "Woman, the only time my full name is used is whenever I announce myself."

"You absolute _loxtranti_!" I doubt I have to tell you what _loxtranti_ translates into. It's certainly doesn't mean 'sweetheart'. "How could you kidnap a child right after his mother died!"

Yondu faltered only a moment before the scowl returned with a vengeance. "It ain't yer concern, princess."

I was only marginally aware that we weren't alone on the bridge. Kraglin, Halvi, and two others were there. At a twitch of his head, all but Kraglin left the room. "If I recall, _captain_ , you put me in charge of Peter's care and last I checked, his emotional state of mind falls under that description; so yeah, it _is_ my concern, Yondu! You took him _less than a minute_ after his own mom _died_! He hasn't had a chance to process that!"

"It's been two months; he's had plenty of time!"

"No. He's been hiding out in his room, too scared to even come out to eat because he's trapped on a ship full of space pirates who want to eat him. He's been trying to figure out how to survive, not processing his mother's death."

Yondu rolled his red eyes. "Yer exaggeratin'."

"Am I? Do you know who he called out for when you zapped him up?"

"I suppose you do?" he responded sarcastically.

"His mom."

Yondu was silent.

"Peter told me that he was so scared when your ship showed up, that he forgot he'd just seen his mother die and so the first person he screamed to come and save him was his mom…. Yondu, her death was so _fresh_ , barely a minute had passed, and you came and snatched him away before he could even accept that his mother was _gone_ – is any of this getting through to you at all?"

Yondu's jaw twitched as he glared at a spot near my shoulder, not even bothering to look me in the eye. When it became apparent I'd be getting no answer from him I scoffed in disbelief and turned on my heel.

* * *

He lifted his eyes to watch her leave the bridge. He'd felt her anger, seen the rage burning in those green eyes. Hearing her question him like that, he'd nearly grabbed her and shook her right then. She didn't know the whole story. She only had the boy's side of it and it wasn't the complete picture. He was her captain now and she had no right to barge in and yell at him. Yet a tiny voice whispered at him that he'd deserved it. Yondu quickly strangled that tiny voice and sneered at Lydia's rapidly retreating back. He'd punish her later for such behavior. That was the second time she'd bowed up at him in the presence of his crew and that just wasn't going to be ignored. He couldn't let his men think he'd let her get away with it.

"Cap'n?"

He could hear his young first mate cautiously approaching him. He'd made him his first mate less than two years ago after the last one thought he'd start calling the shots himself. That had ended with a whistle, a flash of red, and a hole through the man's skull. Kraglin had shown remarkable loyalty and promise in the past, so he'd made the boy his right hand man. Yondu knew the boy was still wary of getting his job wrong, making him walk on eggshells around his captain, but he still tried.

"Cap'n?" Kraglin tried again when Yondu didn't answer.

"Hm?"

"Should we fill her in? Ya know, since she's gonna be takin' care of the boy an' all?"

"We ain't tellin' her a thing, Kraglin."

"But, cap –,"

Yondu whirled and fixed him with a glare. "Not a thing!"

Kraglin swallowed and nodded. "Yes, sir."

 **(Well, how was that? Lydia's first day at work wasn't exactly kind to her, was it? I kept giggling as I pictured Lydia's carrying those heavy pieces of equipment and it eventually dragging her down. I loved writing that scene. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. There's more to come so hopefully you'll stick around. Let me know what you thought; what ya liked, disliked, what I could improve on, etc. Until next time, Dear Readers!)**


	5. Wanna Bet?

**(Bless the few people who left a review on the last chapter! I need to know what's working and what's not, Readers. Please, please, please, leave some reviews so I can know what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. I hope this chapter will make up for whatever it was the last one lacked.)**

 **[Song Suggestions: 'Only You' by Yazoo (or Yaz as they were sometimes called). 'I Know What Boys Like,' by The Waitresses is suggested for when Lydia and Yondu are comparing weapons. Listen to 'Cherry Bomb' by The Runaways when the competition is going on. Play 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' by The Police when Lydia is pacing outside of Yondu's room.)**

Chapter Five

 _Wanna Bet?_

'Only You' by Yazoo is my favorite song. I don't know why, I can't put my finger on it, but it's the one song among my music collection that I'll find myself humming or singing a couple a times a day. I know nothing about the band that plays it. I only have one other song by them on a mix tape I randomly purchased a few years back. It's been my song ever since.

I was softly singing said song's chorus as I got ready for Day (Cycle) Two on the _Eclector_. " _All I needed was the love you gave/ All I needed for another day/ And all I ever knew/ Only you_ …" I'd managed to reclaim my travel bags and arranged my belongings the way I wanted them in my room. I was brushing my hair in front of a cracked and cloudy mirror on the wall when I detected the sounds of Peter moving about in his room next to mine. I grinned in amusement. The boy stomped about like a _goolow_ in the mornings.

" _Wonder if you'll understand/ It's just the touch of your hand/ Behind a closed door…_ "

After I finished braiding my hair, I shrugged on my brown leather jacket and tucked the blue stone pendant of my necklace beneath my shirt. I'd caught a few crewmen sneaking curious glances at it the other day-cycle as if they were trying to gauge if it was valuable enough to steal. It wasn't but if anyone came at me to try taking it, I'd pull a page out of Peter's book and bite some fingers.

I left my room and wrapped my knuckles against Peter's door. "Hey, short-stuff, you ready to get some breakfast?" I called. Last night-cycle – oh screw that, I'll call it day and night if I want! Last _night_ I was able to get Peter to agree to go to the mess hall, but he made it clear that I _had_ to go with him and sit at the same table as him. I was going to do that anyway; as if I'd let that child go into a room full of Ravagers alone.

The door slid open to reveal a haphazardly dressed Peter with his reddish hair sticking up in all directions. "Morning, Lydia," he greeted, smiling.

"Morning," I replied with a chuckle. I reached out and ruffled his messy hair. "Did you get in a fight with your pillow or something, cause you have got an extreme case of bed head, kiddo."

Peter grunted as he tried to pry my hand away from his head. "Knock it off," he whined as young boys do. "It's not that bad."

"Do you have a mirror in your room?"

"Yeah."

"Did you _look_ in it?"

"No."

"Let me show you a thing. It's called a reflection."

I gave him a playful push back into his room and my eyebrows rose as I got a look at it. "Kid, your room is just a messy as your hair!"

"It's fine," he insisted.

I sighed and scooted him to the mirror. It was a bit cleaner than mine and had only a minor crack near the left corner. "You see this thing on your head?" I said, ruffling his curls again. "This is called hair. It has to be maintained in order to not frighten away other people." My gaze briefly flicked to my reflection's braid as I remembered the many times my own bleary-eyed self had been startled by the unruliness of my hair in the mornings. "I should know," I added under my breath.

"I don't have a brush," Peter said as if it excused him.

"You have fingers?"

"Yeah."

"The ya got a brush; and if you have any particularly stubborn hairs that refuse to cooperate," I ran my fingers through his hair to tame it down, "then what you do is you hock up some spit –," I cleared my throat and was not disappointed with Peter's reaction.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! I'll do it! I got it! No need!" He wriggled out of my grasp and swiftly ran his own fingers through his hair.

"See? Not so hard, right?" I asked, smiling mischievously. I glanced around. "Now about your room…"

Peter gazed sheepishly about him. "Just so you know," he began, meeting my eyes, "the room was already really messy before I moved in."

I barked out a laugh. "Fair enough," I conceded, "but that's no reason why your bed should be left looking like you had a fight with it. Seriously, Peter, do you thrash around in your sleep or something?"

"No, it's just that my bed was never made when I got the room. One of the aliens tossed some bed sheets at me and that was it. I never learned how to make my bed without help." He gazed sadly at the unmade bed. "Mom was going to teach me."

My chest ached a bit at the sight of his face and I cleared my throat. "Well, I know it's not the same buuut…" I approached his bed and gestured at it. "Would you be okay with me showing you how my mom taught me?"

He seemed to consider it a moment and then nodded, a small smile appearing on his lips. "Sure."

"Okay." I grabbed the base sheet. "Come on over here." Peter did as I said. "So the first thing you do is –," I flicked out the sheet so it would billow out and cover the mattress only to discover … "A fitted sheet!" I squawked.

"What's wrong with a fitted sheet?" Peter asked.

"Everything," I moaned. This wasn't going to be as easy as I thought.

* * *

 _Where is that girl_ , Yondu wondered, scanning the faces of his very ugly crew for the one person who was actually attractive. The tongue lashing Lydia gave him the previous day-cycle still stung, but he had a particular reason for wanting to find her. Kraglin informed him that during the ship's night-cycle someone had snuck into the armory and stolen an item from the holding. 'Holding' was where weapons the crew came across during raids that they hadn't tested yet or didn't know how the machinery worked, so it would be set aside under lock and key until a time came that they could properly examine it. For a Ravager a proper examination usually consisted of asking, "What's this one do?" while pressing buttons and pulling triggers and seeing the outcome. That was how Vorker lost his eye actually.

Yondu drummed his fingers on the table, red eyes locked on the mess hall's entrance. The moment she walked through that door he was going to tear into her. This was the final straw.

As the minutes ticked by and Lydia remained a no-show, Yondu's glare intensified and he began to grind his teeth. The crew subtly began to vacate the table, opting to eat their breakfast at a safer distance. When ten more minutes passed with no appearance from the red-headed vixen, Yondu slammed his fist on the table with such force that every crewmember in the hall went silent and apprehensively watched their captain. Yondu, not even sparring a glance at anyone, stormed out through the open doors and it was a full ten seconds before anyone dared to so much as move.

"Weeeelp," one blue-skinned Ravager said loud enough for all to hear. He turned his spiked head to look around at the majority of the crew. "She's dead," he announced.

"Don't speak so soon, Rixh," Halvi spoke up.

"She may be pretty but she pushes his buttons too often for her own good," Rixh insisted. He picked up his fork and fiddled with it as he went on talking. "Just you wait, Halvi. That little girl is going to go too far and – _wham_!" He stabbed his fork into his breakfast. "She'll be skewered like the others before her."

Halvi stood from his seat and carried his empty tray in one hand. He paused next to Rixh who beamed smarmily up at the seven foot tower of night. "You know I'm right, big guy." Halvi lifted his tray and swatted Rixh on the back of his spikey head. The blue alien grasped at his spikes and cringed into his seat. "Gah! Halvi! Geez, man!"

Halvi was already moving on, depositing his tray with the others waiting to be cleaned. A pearly smile was aimed back at Rixh. "Perhaps you'll learn to keep your mouth shut if given the proper motivation, yes?"

Rixh sneered then winced at the pinch of pain that caused him. "Giant ink blot," he mumbled.

* * *

Either the girl was purposefully avoiding him or she'd gotten lost on her way to mess hall. A quick trip to the observation room didn't turn her up on any of the screens so his next stop was her room. The scowl on his face warned away any Ravagers who came across him in the halls. Some men would take one look at their approaching captain and wisely take a different route to get to their destinations. Of course, Yondu didn't notice this – well, he did but it vaguely registered in the back of his mind. His heavy footfalls rang out, announcing to all, " _Here I am, and I'm about to whoop some ass!_ " Those purposeful strides began to falter once he rounded the corner to the hall that Quill and Lydia's rooms were at. His ears picked up on Lydia's voice but she sounded … odd.

"Why won't you fit; _glom_ it!"

This was followed by lots of grunts that made Yondu's eyebrows raise and his filthy mind jump to attention. His dirty thoughts came to a screeching halt when he realized Lydia's voice was coming from Quill's room and the door was open.

"I will make it fit!" Lydia's strained voice hissed.

"You almost got it that time," Quill said.

There was a grunt and then the frustrated growl of Lydia. " _Glom_ it!"

Yondu got to the door and was greeted with the rather fetching sight of Lydia's fine backside prominently stuck up in the air as she coiled at the end of Quill's mattress. She'd kicked off her shoes and socks and curled her toes around the bottom edges of the fitted sheet and gripped the upper corners in her hands.

"Are you sure about trying it that way?" Quill questioned uncertainly.

"Kid, there is no win in a situation that involves making a bed with fitted sheets that are a smidge too small to properly fit." Lydia inhaled deeply and readied herself, which hoisted her butt higher in the air and Yondu shamelessly appreciated the view. That girl could fill some pants.

"Alright, here I go," Lydia announced.

"In five," Quill began, "four, three, two, one!"

She sprang from her coiled position, arms and legs extended, and she flopped face first onto the mattress. "Get it!" came her muffled cry.

Quill dashed forward and tugged the right corner from her foot. His face scrunched up with effort as he tried to make it cover the corner of the mattress. Lydia, meanwhile, attempted to do the same with the upper part of the sheet. Yondu couldn't hold back any longer. "If it weren't for the presence of that boy this might could be the opening for a very questionable erotica."

Quill, startled by the sudden sound of Yondu's voice, jumped back and let go of the sheet.

Lydia twisted her head to look back at him. "Peter, grab –," but it was too late. The lower half of the sheet slipped off the corners and snapped back, curling inward and encasing Lydia's feet. The upper corners slipped from her hands and repeated the incident, which enveloped Lydia's head and torso and now had her trapped in a cocoon.

Yondu roared with laughter as he watched the girl struggle to free herself. Quill bit his lower lip and moved to help her but a large, blue hand settled on his shoulder and pulled him back. "Not just yet, boy; I'm enjoyin' this too much," Yondu chortled.

" _Borga_!" Lydia shouted. "I'll kick your _glom tookum_ , you blue-skinned _loxtranti_!"

Quill tugged at his ear while frowning with confusion. Yondu nudged his shoulder. "What is it, boy?"

"I think my transmuter-thing is broken."

"It's called a translator. The one I had our medic inject in you was brand new so it can't be broken."

"Then how come some of her words sound funny?"

"Like what?"

"What's a _tookum_?"

Lydia broke off from her tirade long enough to shout a rebuke at him. "Watch your language, Peter!"

Yondu chuckled. "It ain't broken, boy. I thought the same thing when I hired Halvi," at Quill's questioning look Yondu paused and offered, "the big black guy?" At the boy's nod of recognition, Yondu continued while also keeping an amused eye on Lydia's ongoing battle with the blanket cocoon. "Halvi and Brosh come from the same planet but Halvi's people got a slightly different way of speaking from the majority of the Threxians. His tribe didn't want to register their language with the verbal data corps so their lingo don't always translate with the devices."

"Freedom!" Lydia shouted as she successfully uncovered her head.

"I think the blanket over yer face was an improvement to your look, Brosh."

"Screw you."

"Not in front of the little one, honey," Yondu responded with a smirk. Lydia opened her mouth to retort then quickly shut it after a quick glance at Quill. Yondu's smirk toned down a bit as he gave the boy a little shove towards the door. "You go on an' get yer breakfast 'for the foods all cleared up. I got somethin' tah say to Brosh."

"Lydia's got to come with me."

Yondu's crimson eyes narrowed at him. "You hear what I said, boy? Git!"

Quill cast a worried glance at Lydia. She nodded at him and he nervously went away. Kicking the blanket to the side, Lydia picked up her boots and socks before plopping onto the mattress. She tossed him a grin. "Fitted sheets? Really? Does the depravity of Ravagers know no bounds?"

Yondu grunted, watching her as she bent over to tie up her boots and unknowingly giving him a good view of her cleavage. "Kraglin tells me there was an item stolen from Holding. You wouldn't happen to know anythin' 'bout that, wouldja, princess?"

Instead of a guilty look on her face, Lydia's expression was the picture of calm as she straightened up and fluidly produced her mysterious gadget from wherever she'd been keeping it. "Oh, you mean this item?" she asked.

Yondu exploded with rage at her blasé attitude towards his intimidation tactic. "Ain't even been on my ship for two day cycles an' yer already thievin' from me!" He made a move to swipe it from her but she just as swiftly pulled it out of his reach.

"If anyone's to be accused of stealing it should be you, considering it's _my_ property to begin with."

Yondu lunged for the gadget and she nimbly leapt aside. "Hand that thing over, girl," he growled.

"No." She lifted her nose in the air playfully and affected a high society accent. "I shan't." She clipped it to her belt. "Besides, I needed it back so I can do some repair jobs on this ship that your tools are ill equipped to handle. Plus, I'll need it to help me emphasize my point if some of your crew gets a bit too friendly."

A growl rose in his throat. "I don't trust you with that thing."

Her head cocked to the side and Yondu got the feeling that she was observing him. "You don't know what my gadget is, do you?"

Yondu's jaw twitched.

"You've had it in your possession for forty-eight hours and your men still don't know how it works?"

"I know it's a weapon and I don't trust ya with it," Yondu growled.

A tiny spark of interest flared in her green eyes. She briefly looked away, considering something. She lightly bit down on her bottom lip and Yondu's mind instantly jumped in the gutter. "What if," she began and he dragged his attention away from her mouth. "What if I showed you how it works? Then you could determine if it's too much of a threat for me to keep on my person? You can't be biased though – I'm asking for a true assessment from my captain." She lifted her eyebrows as if to ask, "What do you say to that?"

Yondu eyed her, their gazes locked and assessing. A smirk slowly lifted the corner of his mouth and he gave a single nod.

* * *

"Alright, I get that it's more of a multi-functionin' tool," Yondu was groaning. He rubbed at his forehead and gave me an impatient glare. "Now show me how it can be used as a weapon."

I guess I can't blame him for being short with me. I'd been showing him every little thing about my gadget for the past hour and a half and I may have been stretching out my explanations over the mundane features.

"Fine, fine," I sighed and proceeded to make a few twists here, push a button there and a full sized spear sprang from the compact machinery, prompting Yondu to take a surprised step back.

Once he saw no other surprise was going to jump at him, he moved closer and looked it up in down. I couldn't stop a proud smile from curling my lips as he inspected it. "Is that the only weapon it can turn into?" he asked.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Hm," he grunted. My brows knitted together. It wasn't so much his grunt as the way he'd made it sound. It was as if he were saying, "That's it?"

"What wrong with it?" I asked defensively.

Yondu shook his head and pulled a half-hearted face that did nothing to hide his skepticism. "Nothin'," he said, circling me and giving my spear those insulting looks of doubt. "It's just…"

"Just what?"

"It don't look too intimidatin'."

"Looks can be deceiving."

"Ain't that the truth," he added, giving me a pointed once over. I frowned, unimpressed. He wasn't going to get away with that little jab.

Looking to his lower right side where his holster was I said, "I'm sure the same could be said for your flying arrow of doom, right, captain?"

He came to a halt on my left and lifted an eyebrow. "You got somethin' against my arrow, girl?"

I shrugged and pulled the same face he'd made a moment ago. "No, not at all. It's just that at first glance it doesn't make people shake in their boots."

He stepped around so that he was right in front of me and placed his hands on his hips. "The moment my fingers even brush against that side of my coat these boys start quakin' and look for cover."

"Yeah, _now_ they do, but I'm sure there were a few snickers the first time you threatened them with it, right?"

He hesitated and I knew it was true. "They didn't snicker for long," he quickly responded.

I held onto the spear with both hands as I leaned towards him, a teasing smile created just to prick at his pride. "Face it, Yondu. Between your weapon and mine, I think my spear wins in the intimidation round."

I swear the man's face was turning purple. His crimson eyes sparked and that calculating gaze fixed itself onto me. "Is that right?" he asked, his raspy voice lowered to a near whisper. My skin startled to crawl at the intensity of those red eyes. His left hand reached out and grabbed hold of the spear just above my own hands, and he leaned in so that our faces were inches apart. "Just how intimidating is yer spear when facing men with guns, darlin'?" he asked, his words coming out like a low rumble.

I licked my suddenly dry lips as I maintained eye contact. "I'll admit that would be a problem but I've been in tough spots before and my weapon served me just fine."

"That was on Knowhere, darlin'. You're facin' the whole galaxy now and not everyone is gonna be cowed by this metal stick." He emphasized his words by jiggling the pole and I tightened my grip.

"I worked with what I had." I lifted my chin defiantly. "Perhaps if I was given a weapon –,"

Yondu's laugh rasped out but it didn't rise above a chuckle. "Oh-ho-ho, princess, that ain't gonna be happenin' any time soon."

"Alright, then I keep my spear."

"I didn't say ya could."

"You really expect me to let you take away my only defense against your crew?"

"They ain't gonna do anything to you –,"

"They're men, Yondu," I snapped harshly. "I've lived on Knowhere, so don't _goolow sprek_ me."

He gritted his teeth and drew back from me, still keeping hold of the spear. I sensed more than saw the white-knuckled grip he had on the pole above my hands. I realized that I wasn't exactly warming him up to the idea of letting me keep my gadget or issuing me a gun so I changed tactics.

"Okay, how about this. A competition between you and me; my spear against your arrow. I bet that I can hold my own against it."

"What'll ya wager?"

"If I win, not only do I keep my gadget, but you register me with a gun."

He chuckled and I caught a glint of metal peek out from his teeth. "And if I win?"

I couldn't really think of anything. I knew what _I_ wanted, why should I have to think of what he got? "I don't get a gun?"

He gave me a condescending tilt of his head. "Ya gotta come up with somethin' better than that."

I sighed. "Fine. You decide."

The slow, predator grin that curled his lips and revealed sharp, crooked teeth made me instantly regret the mistake I'd made. "Oh, sugar, you got a lot to learn about makin' bets. You just gave away some power there."

Oh, _sprek_ he was right! "I take it back!" I blurted.

Yondu released the spear and resumed circling me. "Too late, princess." He tapped his chin. "Now, when I win, ya gotta turn over yer gadget and…" He stopped and grinned at me. "Well, I'll have to come up with somethin' real good, won't I?"

"Screw you and your cocky self."

The tip of his tongue poked out from between his teeth as he kept grinning confidently at me. "I'll take that into consideration."

I turned on my heel and stormed off.

* * *

Somehow word got around about Yondu and Lydia's competition. A majority of the crew had gathered in the hangar bay and Peter fidgeted nervously where he sat perched on top of a large crate. The crew was rowdy, waiting to see the showdown. Peter clutched his Walkman, focusing on the music and not on the jeers and shouts surrounding him.

 _Hello, daddy! Hello, mom!_

 _I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!_

 _Hello, world! I'm your wild girl!_

 _I'm your ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb!_

Halvi stood next to him, a silent presence who's crossed arms and unflinching stare sent out a warning to anyone who was even thinking about approaching the boy. Despite being a member of the crew who kidnapped him, Peter decided he was okay with Halvi being near. The giant had yet to threaten to eat him, so that made Halvi alright in his book. It was Halvi who brought him to the hangar and lifted him effortlessly with one hand onto the crate.

"What's going on?" Peter asked for the third time.

Halvi had finally answered him after taking up his crossed arms position. "The captain and your guardian have made a bet with one another."

"What kind of bet?"

Peter couldn't get anything else out of the ink-black giant and settled his headphones over his ears. He was nearly to the end of the song when the roar of the crew drowned out his music and caused him to slip the headphones off and looked around. "They're here," Halvi told him.

Peter quickly scrambled to his feet atop the crate and saw them, Yondu and Lydia, entering the hangar. Yondu swaggered into the clearing and made gestures to encourage the crews' cheers. Lydia did her best to hide her nervousness as she tagged along after him. She didn't draw any attention to herself as she did a quick check up on her spear for probably the hundredth time.

Peter cupped his hands near his mouth. "Lydia!"

Her head lifted up from the spear and glanced around. He called out again and she spotted him. He gave her an energetic wave and she smiled as she waved back. Halvi tapped at Peter's leg. "Enough. Let her concentrate," he said without being harsh. Peter frowned but settled back onto the crate. He could see them fine now that they were in the center of the clearing.

Kraglin entered the circle and stood in between Lydia and Yondu. The captain stood with his legs apart, hands at his hips, a wide grin plastered on his ugly face. Peter fought the urge to 'boo' at him. Lydia also stood with her legs apart but bent at the knees, ready to run, to jump, and to move at a moment's notice. Peter saw Kraglin's lips moving but couldn't hear him over the din of the crew. He wished they'd all shut up.

Kraglin raised his arm, glanced back and forth, and then swiftly lowered his arm as if he were slashing the air. He quickly jumped back and happened to shuffle over to Peter's crate. "What did the captain decide?" Halvi asked. "Blood or life?"

"Blood," Kraglin answered, not looking away from the circling pair.

Halvi gave a solemn nod. "That's what I thought he'd choose."

The hair on the back of Peter's neck stood on end. Yondu was going to kill Lydia?

* * *

I watched closely as Yondu lazily moved aside the right edge of his leather coat and began to whistle. The arrow began to glow red and languidly lift out of its holster. I'd briefly seen this thing in action before and –

Yondu's warbling tune suddenly changed to a sharp whistle and I barely saw the red blur heading straight for me.

"Ah!" I dropped to the floor, felt the swift breeze pass over my back, and quickly rolled onto my feet to face the direction the arrow had gone. I had no idea he could make his arrow move so fast! What the _sprek_! I heard Yondu chuckle behind me. _Borga_.

A series of staccato notes were the only warning I had before the glowing red blur zoomed around and a stinging pain presented itself on my right calf. I looked down to see my pant's leg was thinly cut and a trickle of blood was visible. He ruined my best pants! I jerked my gaze back to Yondu. He grinned then whistled again. By some instinct, I thrust my spear to my left and twirled it as fast as possible. I felt it jar in my hands from a collision. I just blocked that sucker! Yeah!

If I could just get close enough to Yondu then I might could disrupt his whistling long enough to –

The arrow was coming back. Yikes!

I jabbed the end of my spear's pole against the ground and used it to propel me out of the way as the arrow flew past. I twisted around and attempted to lung at him but the arrow changed course faster than I expected and cut me off, causing me to give up the ground I had gained only moments before.

* * *

"He's playing with her," an older man with piercing blue eyes and a scraggly brown beard hissed at Halvi.

Halvi shrugged. "So what if he is, Horuz?"

"He should be making a lesson out of her," Horuz growled.

"He will," Kraglin assured him with a bored tone.

Peter's breath hitched in his chest. _No. Not her – not Lydia. She's nice – she's real nice! She's my friend!_

Peter shook Halvi's muscled shoulder. "You have to make them stop!" he said once the man turned to look at him.

Black eyes blinked at the boy. "Can't do that, boy. It has to play out."

"But –"

Halvi turned away to continue watching the fight.

Peter shifted his weight back and forth from one leg to the other as he watch and scrapped his brain for an idea but came up with nothing.

* * *

I was running low on energy. Yondu's arrow moved with such speed that it was nearly impossible to keep track of. I'd only managed to deflect it a couple more times and came to the realization that it was because he'd let me do it. I gained two more cuts, one at my right arm, another on my right hand. They weren't deep cuts, just grazed the skin enough to draw blood.

The arrow whizzed by close enough that I heard it whoosh near my ear. I flinched away, swinging my spear clumsily at the already vanished threat.

Yondu's arrow hovered by his side as he chuckled at me. "What do you say, boys? Should we bring this to a close?"

The crew roared wildly. I could have sworn I heard one voice scream 'No!' but I probably imagined it. Yondu's eyes glinted as he resumed whistling and released that sharp note that sent the arrow slicing through air right at me. I was too exhausted to move, my muscles trembled, and that glowing red blur kept getting closer.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Nothing happened.

I eased open one eye. The tip of the arrow head was less than an inch from my nose and it hovered there as Yondu strolled over to me with a lofty expression on his face. At a trill from him, the arrow retreated back into his holster.

He snapped his fingers at my spear and held open his hand. "I win, darlin'."

Sighing with defeat, I twisted the spear's pole and glumly watched it shift back into a travel-sized gadget.

* * *

"Huh?" Peter said, confused. "I thought he was going to kill her?"

"Nah, Pete," Kraglin said, guffawing. Peter wrinkled his nose at the shortening of his name. "He chose 'blood'. He'd draw blood from her to teach her a lesson. Now, if he'd chosen 'life', he'd have taken her life."

Peter released a sigh of relief. _Thank you_ , he thought to whoever was listening.

"Most men that cross him aren't that lucky," Horuz grumped.

"Well in case it's escaped your attention, Horuz…" Halvi placed a hand on top of the man's head and turned it so that he'd look at Lydia. "That is most certainly not a man."

"Sure ain't," Kraglin snorted. "Cute little red-head like her? _Psh_! Cap'n ain't gonna kill her."

Horuz scoffed and jerked his head out of Halvi's loose hold. "Just because the girl has a pretty face shouldn't prevent the captain from disciplining her as if she were a man."

"Horuz, how old would you guess the girl to be?" Halvi asked. He leaned back against the crate and noticed from his peripheral vision that Peter was trying to get down. He didn't even bother to look as he reached over and plucked up the boy by his backpack and lowered him to the floor. Peter blinked in surprise then hurried off to push his way through the crowd to meet Lydia.

"Judging by Threxian standards, I'd say she can't be twenty yet."

"Exactly. She's a pretty girl who pushes the captain's buttons but she posses no true threat to him. If she did, then you know the captain would have killed her without hesitation."

Horuz sniffed as he narrowed his eyes at the girl. "He shouldn't have let her off so easily."

"This is why the ladies don't flock to you, Horuz," Halvi teased.

* * *

"Alright, you won," I fumed. "So what do I have to do?"

As the crew continued to make a ruckus, Yondu pulled me by the sleeve of my jacket and whispered, "My quarter's tonight."

My stomach churned. Surely he didn't mean…

"Lydia!"

I glimpsed Peter trying to push his way through the crowded bodies. He looked so happy to see me; you wouldn't have guessed I'd lost the fight.

"Don't come until most of the crew's asleep, ya hear?" Yondu's gruff voice rumbled in my ear. I gave him a numb nod. He released my jacket and turned away. The crew parted for him and Peter slipped through the opening to rush at me.

"You're okay!" he cheered. He collided into my legs as he hugged me and I let out an involuntary hiss when he bumped the cut on my leg. Peter stepped back and looked down at it.

"Do you need to see a doctor?" he asked worriedly.

"Nah, kid. I'm good. Just gotta clean these cuts with some soap and I'll be fine."

 _Or at least I will be until tonight…_

* * *

Later that night, just as he'd requested, I left my room when I knew that only those on the night crew would be about and stealthily made my way to the captain's quarters. Just as I got to the door, I froze. What would be waiting for me behind it?

I began to pace the hall, biting my thumbnail until there was nothing left. I could only think of one reason why Yondu wanted me to visit his quarters at night but I desperately tried to come up with other reasons. I prayed to whoever would hear me that it wouldn't be what I was dreading. It's not that I found Yondu unappealing, far from it; it's just that I'd never been with a man and I kept remembering the intensity of my first encounter with Yondu. Would he be like again?

Knowing I couldn't stall any longer, I went to the door and knocked. It opened and I drew in a breath before walking in. I'd barely gotten a proper look at his room the last time I was in here due to being – er – preoccupied. I took a moment to look at my surroundings. It was much larger than I or Peter's room. Much larger. The bed was large too, covered with blankets and one that looked made of some sort of fur. Despite the untidiness of the rest of the ship, Yondu's room was fairly clean but it was most definitely a male's room.

A small electric spark caught my attention and I directed my gaze to it. Yondu was at work bench, fiddling with some sort of device I couldn't make out from where I stood. He didn't raise his eyes to look at me but remained focused on his work.

"Come 'ere, girl."

I swallowed and warily made my way over to him. As I got closer I saw that the device he was working on was small enough for a child. "What is that?" I asked.

"It's a gun."

"Never seen a gun that looked like that before."

"I swiped it from the armory of the last town we raided a few weeks back." He paused in his tweaking and eyed the sightline. "It's an older model. Needs some upgrades." His gaze shifted to me as he held out the gun to me. Take a look at it and tell me what you see?" he asked.

I inspected the weapon, turning it this way and that. "Wasn't made for lethal attacks, it doesn't have a big enough power cell for it and the shot wouldn't get very far either." I squinted at the rim of the barrel. "A stun gun?"

"Yep." Yondu leaned back in his seat, watching me. "Can you tell what I'm trying to modify it to do?"

My eyes skimmed his work table, flicking from the various parts and tools he had spread about the surface and the settling on the gun in my hands. "From what I can figure, you want to up the stun voltage so that it gives the target more of a kick and than a tickle." I quirked an eyebrow at him. "You don't exactly strike me as the type to use a stun gun." I looked meaningfully at his holstered arrow.

"I ain't, but for a little boy who's barely got any meat on his bones it could be useful in case an enemy comes along."

I blinked. "You're re-modifying this for Peter?" That was almost worthy of a squeal of 'aaaw' from me.

"Nope. You are."

"…Okay, you lost me somewhere."

His blue fingers drummed on the table twice. "My crew can't know about this. I got myself a reputation to uphold and gettin' accused of bein' soft for the boy ain't something I'm aiming for. This project's provin' to be a bit more difficult than I thought and I'm hitting a few snags with the reconfigurations. Seein' the work you did on your gadget, I think you got the know-how. You help me fix up this gun and when it's done, you give it to Quill as if this was solely you. That's my wager's winnings."

I grinned mischievously. "A reputation, huh?"

Yondu smirked back like he'd been expecting me to try using this against him. "Ya might wanna hear what I'm gonna offer you in exchange for your silence."

"Oh." I pulled up an overturned bucket and sat down, chin in hand; the very picture of an attentive listener. "I'm all ears, captain."

"You do this for me and I let you keep your spear-gadget."

I nodded. "Alright. Deal."

I turned so that I was facing the table and laid the gun down. I started to really look at it now that I knew what was expected of me. Speaking of which… I was so relieved that Yondu hadn't ordered me to his quarters for what I'd feared that I started to giggle to myself.

Yondu gave me a funny look when he heard me. "What's got you so tickled?"

I shook my head. "Nothing, I just –" I snickered a bit and cleared my throat. "I thought you wanted me hear for a completely different reason."

"After what happened last time!" He barked a single, sardonic laugh. "Ain't happenin' again, princess."

It was such a stupid thing for me to do. I don't know why I thought it was okay in the first place. I leaned in so that my lips were close to his ear and placed my hand on his thigh. When I spoke, my voice came out in a sultry whisper, "You wanna bet on that?"

Yondu bolted up from his chair so fast that it fell back with a loud clang. His red eyes glared at me as his nostrils flared. I could feel anger and something else mixed with it radiating in waves off of him. I'd gone too far. I cringed into myself as I met his furious stare with my most apologetic expression.

"Um…" I stammered. "When do I start working on the gun?"

He was quite for a long time and I tried to muster my courage to slip out but that harsh glare kept me pinned on that _scarrin'_ bucket.

"…Tomorrow night," he said. "Same time, in here."

I licked my dry lips. "…Okay." My muscles regained their movement and I carefully stood to my feet. A lock of hair brushed my cheek and I tucked it behind my ear while avoiding eye contact. I heard Yondu inhale sharply. "Um, well…Uh… Goodnight, Yondu." I told myself to start walking. Thankfully I listened.

As I hurried to the door, I found I'd begun to hug myself. I felt awful. That had been a rotten move on my part.

"Brosh," Yondu's raspy voice called out. I froze. "You'll be wanting this."

I looked over my shoulder. Yondu held out my gadget. The anger had lessened in his eyes but he still held himself tensely. I hesitated at first then quickly walked back and took it from his outstretched hand. "Thank you," I said softly, looking at his boots, then scurried out the door.

 **(Alright guys, that concludes chapter five! What did you think? In the next chapter, you'll understand a bit more of why Yondu reacted the way he did to Lydia's flirty teasing plus more stuff that I hope you'll find to be entertaining. Anyway, thanks for reading and I really do hope to hear from you in a review or PM. Until next time, Dear Readers!)**


	6. She's A Beauty

**(Fair warning Dear Readers, this chapter is long. I worked on this sucker for about three days straight! I really hope you like it and that it's been worth your wait.)**

 **[Song Suggestions for Chapter 6]**

 **~ 'Unchained Melody' by The Righteous Brothers**

 **~ 'She Drives Me Crazy' by Fine Young Cannibals (listen when Lydia is taken to the washroom)**

 **~ 'Hot Child in the City' by Nick Gilder (listen when Yondu sees Lydia's new style)**

 **~ 'Magic' by Pilot (listen when Peter is having his scuffle)**

 **~ 'She's A Beauty' by The Tubes (listen when Yondu thinks back to Knowhere and meeting Lydia.)**

 **~ 'How to be a Heartbreaker' by Marina and the Diamonds (listen whenever you want.)**

 **~ 'Bringin' On the Heartbreak' by Def Leppard (listen when Yondu and the team have returned from the job.)**

Chapter Six

 _She's A Beauty_

A Week Later

"So she's showing signs of progress?" I asked the doctor on the holo-screen.

"Like I said, they're very small things but I still thought it was worth mentioning to you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Can I speak to her?"

"I don't see why not. Wait a moment."

As the doctor stepped away, Kraglin nudged my elbow to get my attention. "If ya hold that thing any tighter, yer gonna break it," he said.

I winced guiltily and I relaxed my grip on the info disk Kraglin had lent me. I could have asked the captain's permission to use a computer in Communications but things between us had been tense since that night in his quarters. I still cringed every time I thought about how stupid it was of me to mess with him like that and my gut would twist when I recalled the look of fury on his face. I still had to see him every night to work on Peter's stun gun but there was no denying that the captain kept himself at a distance from me. So when the day arrived for me to be updated about my mom's health and I was in need of a holo-screen, I had left my room with the intention of seeking out Yondu but chickened out and asked Kraglin instead. Hey, he was First Mate so that counted for something, right?

"Lydia?" my mom's voice called from just off-screen.

"She's on the holo-screen, Ms. Brosh," the doctor informed her.

A moment later my mother appeared and a giant grin broke out on her face. "Lydia!"

"Mom." There was a definite catch in my voice. I knew it had only been a week but it felt like eons since I'd seen her. Even back home on Threxia I'd never been away from my family for more than three days.

"You…safe?" she asked.

I blinked back tears in surprise. There was clarity in her gaze that I hadn't seen in a long time. "Yeah, mom." I sniffed back a sob and heard Kraglin clear his throat and shift around behind me, uncertain of what he should do.

"Mom, how are you? Are you okay?"

She hummed a happy noise and her focus slide past me even though she was looking right at me. Soon she was humming a familiar tune.

"Um, I've been meaning to ask you, Miss Brosh," the doctor said, stepping into view behind my mother. "Do you know this music? She hums this tune a lot but none of the staff recognizes it. I feel like it we knew the song and could play it it might help her."

I sniffed again, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. "Yeah. I know it. It's called 'Unchained Melody' by The Righteous Brothers. It's a Terran song."

"Is there a significance about this song concerning your mother?"

"My father was Terran. They used to dance to this song."

"I see. Thank you, Miss Brosh."

"Lydia, sing?" Mom asked suddenly.

Kraglin looked back at me curiously and my cheeks colored in a way that looks absolutely unflattering on a girl cursed with red hair _and_ freckles all over her body. "Mooom," I groaned under my breath. "Not now."

Her mower lip protruded in a pout. "Sing."

I sighed. "Fine." I glanced over at Kraglin who was doing an unimpressive job pretending to be focused on something else. No one else was around. I took a deep breath and began to sing very softly. " _Oh my love, my darling/ I've hungered for your touch/ A long, lonely time..._ "

* * *

Yondu stomped his way to the bridge because he was in a stomping mood. Stomping was like punching the floor and he'd woken up wanting to slam his fists into something. He hadn't gotten much sleep and it was all because of dreams. The first one had been the nightmare he occasionally still had as would anyone else who'd been through what he had. He'd woken with a jolt and tossed and turned as he waited for sleep to claim him again. While waiting, he happened to glance at his work table and see the almost finished stun gun he and Lydia were working on a few hours ago. She was on his mind when his eyelids finally fluttered closed and it was possibly why his dreams took a turn in the direction they did. When he woke up at the proper time, he was frustrated and irritated at himself for having such a dream.

That night he'd told Lydia to meet him in his quarter's remained fresh in his memories. The instant reaction he'd had when she'd placed her hand on his thigh and whispered in his ear like that. When he jumped up from his chair and turned toward her, he'd clearly seen the regret on her face as she stared up at him. She'd only meant to mess with him; she hadn't known how dangerous a move like that was. He knew he'd startled her – hell, he'd scared her, he knew it – and judging by the way she carried herself into his room every night since, she probably thought he was still angry at her. But it wasn't her he was angry at. It was himself; because when he jumped up from his chair, he'd very nearly scooped that girl up and carried her to his bed.

He shouldn't want her anymore now that he knew she'd only been conning him but that didn't stop the fact that Lydia was a damn good lookin' girl with a fine backside and a nice set of tits. His dreams certainly hadn't stopped noticing. He took a cold shower and Yondu _hated_ cold showers, so the day started off with him in a bad mood.

" _Time goes by so slowly/ And time can do so much/ Are you still mine?_ "

Yondu's pace slowed to a halt. "What the hell?" he muttered.

" _I need your love/ I need your love/ God speed your love to me._ "

Moving quietly to the upcoming hall, he peered around and saw Lydia softly singing to her momma via holo-screen. Kraglin stood off a bit to the side to give the girl some privacy but he was obviously listening. The dang-blasted kid was even swaying in time to the song! Yondu gave a muffled grunt and kept hidden.

"Okay, Mom. I have to go now. I'll talk to you again next week."

Her momma hummed in response and the doctor took over, telling the girl some medical mumbo-jumbo that made her squint as she tried to process it all. She thanked him and the holo-screen winked out.

"Thanks for letting me use your info disk, Kraglin," she said, handing it to him.

"You sing real pretty," his First Mate told her. No hint of being smitten, just stating the facts.

Lydia's skin turned bright red with embarrassment. "Shut up," she said and turned to go, only to see Yondu standing in the way. She yelped and jumped back.

"What'chu jumpy for?" Yondu asked, slightly grinning.

"There is no reason why a big man like you should be so light on his feet," she said placing a hand over her heart. It briefly drew his attention to her chest. She tried to pass him but he shifted so that he was once again blocking her path.

"Where you goin'?"

"Back to my room. I've got laundry that needs taking care of."

She quickly darted to the opposite side before Yondu could react and walked purposefully away.

"Do ya even happen ta know where to take yer dirty laundry, Brosh?" he called out smugly. Lydia's steps faltered. When she turned around to face him he chuckled at the sight of her thinly pressed lips.

"If I asked, would you tell me?"

Yondu examined his blue fingernails. "I might could be persuaded."

Lydia set her jaw and marched back to him. "What do I have to do?"

"My laundry."

Kraglin started to chuckle and turned it into a cough.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lydia asked.

"Is yer translator not workin'?"

"It's working fine," she hissed.

"Then ya know what I told ya. I'll tell ya where the washroom is if you'll do my laundry too."

Lydia studied his face. "I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"Oh he's being fully serious," Kraglin informed her.

Lydia's brow wrinkled with disgust. "You really expect me to do your laundry?"

"If ya want to wear clean clothes of yer own, then yeah."

"Of all the – Graaah! Fine!"

Yondu chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "Follow me, Cinderella."

* * *

The washroom was about medium sized and featured a row of five machines against the back wall that I assumed were the devices used to clean clothes. Along the wall to my left were small crate-sized metal containers with chutes that were attached to the wall and ceiling.

"The high-ranking crew members have a laundry chute in their quarters and it deposits their dirty clothes into these containers," Kraglin explained, wrapping his knuckles on a crate. "This one's the cap'n's."

Yondu smirked as he lifted the latch and let the door fall open.

"Oh _sprek_ no!" I shouted.

The mound of smelly laundry before me was too awful. And it was mostly leathers too! I'd have to hand wash those!

The tip of Yonud's tongue poked out as his lips pulled back in a grin. "Ya already gave me your word, princess."

"Please tell me those machines are designed to clean leather?" I begged.

"They are," Kraglin answered. Yondu 'tsked' in disappointment as he threw a frown his way. Kraglin looked down at his feet as an apology.

Seeing that he couldn't fool me, Yondu sighed and crossed to the machines. "The settings explain themselves, but don't over-load 'em. I want my clothes smellin' fresh as a daisy and in my room in three hours, got it?"

"I'm surprised you even know what a daisy is."

Yondu's jaw twitched. "Three hours," he repeated. "Got it?"

"Loud and clear, Captain," I answered sarcastically. I heaved my sack of laundry off my shoulder and slid it to the nearest machine.

"Mine first, sugar."

"Nuh-uh, Yondu. I've been wearing this outfit for two days straight because I've been too busy to wash clothes –,"

"An' 'cause ya didn't know where the washroom was," Kraglin added.

"That too," I conceded. "But I need to wear so clean clothes."

"Tough luck, princess. I'm captain and I say my clothes get cleaned first."

I clenched my jaw and muttered, "Has anyone ever told you that you can be very petty?"

"Among other things," Yondu said, signaling to Kraglin that they were leaving. "I've even had someone call me 'Prince Charmin'." He gave me a crooked grin and turned away.

"I have it on good authority that that person takes back saying that!" I shouted at his retreating back. I heard his cackles fade away the further he got.

With a frustrated chuff, I turned on my heel and viciously yanked out every article of clothing inside Yondu's laundry unit. I managed to get most of it into a pile near my own sack of clothes and kicked the rest into the group. Separating the leathers from the rest of his wardrobe, I tossed them into the wash machine and followed the instructions to a 'T'. Just to be a bit spiteful, I added a little more smell good detergent than necessary. Don't look at me like that; he said he wanted his clothes to smell like a daisy, didn't he?

I muttered and grumbled under my breath as I shoved on my headphones and cranked up the music to drown out the sound of the machines then got to work separating the remaining clothes by colors. None of the other washers were being used so I figured I could use at least three at a time and leave the other two in case a crew member came in. Judging by the constant smell of the men I doubted I'd run into anyone.

With one arm full of clothes, I opened the third machine and promptly fell back with a surprised screech. Peter looked equally surprised with his green eyes wide and mouth open in a scream that was drowned out by my music. I tore off my headphones in time to catch the tail end of his cry putter out.

"What the _sprek_ are you doing in there, Peter?"

Peter slid off his own headphones. "Nobody really ever comes in here so I like using it as a hideout."

" _Inside_ a washer?" I asked incredulously.

"Have you smelled these guys? I doubt any of them even know how to open one of these."

I chuckled and sat up. "Geez, kid." I ran my fingers through my already messed up pony-tail and tugged it free. "Come on out of there, okay. I gotta get these clothes done."

Peter leaned back, hands behind his head, and smiled boyishly. "Nah. I like it in here."

"Oh you do, huh?"

"Yep."

"We'll see how much you like it when I wash you along with Yondu's underwear, won't we?" I held up a stained pair pinched between two fingers.

"Wait a minute!" he yelped. Peter scrambled out and flopped beside me. I noticed his clothes were even grimier than they were last week.

"Don't you have anything else to wear?" I asked.

"I didn't have a change of clothes with me when Yondu took me."

And why should he? He hadn't known he was going to be kidnapped by aliens and taken into space.

"Yondu said he'd take me to the Tailor, but I guess he forgot."

"They have a tailor on the ship?"

"That's what it sounds like to me."

I nodded. "After I get through with the laundry, we'll find this Tailor guy and see what can be done for you."

Peter's face screwed up with distaste. "He's just gonna put me in a uniform. I hate uniforms."

"Well it's better than what you're wearing now. Peter, I'm saying this out of love, but you stink, kid."

"I've been taking baths," he argued.

"But your clothes haven't. A bath isn't going to do squat if your clothes are ripe enough to make eyes water."

"Okay, okay," Peter grumbled.

"Good. You can help me with the laundry."

"Whaaat?" he whined.

"The faster it gets done the sooner we can get to the Tailor." I held out Yondu's underwear to him. "Here."

He stepped back, hands held up. "No way! I'm not touching that and neither should you!"

I rolled my eyes. "And why not?"

"Look at them."

I did.

"They look like toxic waste," he said.

I giggled. "That's enough. Help me."

Peter slouched over and started gathering a pile of Yondu's clothes.

Once all of the captain's clothes were cleaned and folded, we set to work on my sack of laundry. There wasn't very much to begin with and except for my leather jacket, nothing else needed a special wash setting. I was closing the machine door on a load of darks when I heard Peter call me from behind.

"Hey, Lydia, guess who I am."

I turned to face him and flushed scarlet. Peter had one of my bras on top of his head, the cups over his ears.

"I'm Princess Leia."

"Peter Jason Quill, you take those off right now!"

* * *

Yondu laughed himself silly as he watched the surveillance feed from the washroom. Lydia was chasing the Quill boy around in circles, trying to get her bra from off his head and proving to be a slippery little guy. That could come in handy.

"Cap'n?" Kraglin called.

Reluctantly, Yondu looked away and turned to face his first mate. "Yeah?"

"You're needed on the bridge. We're nearing Tuloc's port."

"Be there in a minute."

Kraglin beat his fist twice over his heart and left the surveillance room. Yondu looked back at the screen that showed the washroom and saw Lydia tackled Peter to the floor. Both were laughing. Something in his chest twinged at the sight and he grunted before turning to go.

* * *

"So what should we say to the guy?" Peter asked.

We were on our way to the Tailor – or at least I think we were. Peter swore he knew the way, but I wasn't so sure. He certainly looked like he knew where he was going.

"We just tell him we need a suit for you. Plain and simple."

"Oh."

I glanced down. His head was hanging low but I could still detect that something was bothering him. "Hey." I nudged him. "What's wrong?"

"It's just –," he stopped himself and shook his head. "Nothing."

"No, come on. What is it?"

"Do I have to throw away my old clothes?"

So that's why he had been reluctantly to visit the Tailor. I got it though. Those clothes were a link to his home world.

"No, Peter. You don't have to throw them away. You can still wear them, but they need to be washed once and a while. In your case, often."

Peter nodded. "Okay." He pointed ahead. "Here it is."

An open doorway sported a sign next to it that read 'the Tailor'. We walked through and found a room over-flowing with fabrics and leathers and a monstrous machine that took up the whole back wall, but no 'Tailor' could be seen.

"Hello?" I called. "Um… Tailor?"

No answer. We moved further inside and started to look around. I went one way, Peter went the other.

"Hey, Lydia, look at this."

"I swear, Peter, if you're wearing one of my bras –,"

"No! Look at this thing over here."

I went to him and saw he was pointing at a metal plaque welded to the wall beside a series of controls. "What is it?" I asked.

"I think it's the Tailor," he said, scrunching up his nose.

Bending down to take a closer look I quickly read what was on the plaque and discovered Peter was right. The monstrous machine was called 'the Tailor' and was an automatic clothes maker. All you had to do was load the fabrics, chose the design, press 'start' and step inside.

"Let's try it," Peter said excitedly.

I quirked an amused eyebrow at him, one hand at my hip. "Look whose eager now," I commented. Peter grinned back at me. I turned to the fabrics. "Okay, let's get some Ravager reds for ya."

Running the machine went surprisingly easy and Peter wasn't the least bit nervous when he stepped inside and thin laser beams scanned every inch of him to take his measurements. Within seconds of stepping out, a miniature Ravager uniform was rolling out from a side slot.

"Cooool," Peter said, holding up his leather jacket. His fingers traced the flame design before his green eyes turned to me, shining. "Lydia, ya gotta do you now!"

"What?" I sputtered.

"Well, you said yourself that most of your clothes have gotten ruined by grease and oil stains."

That was true. During my time on the ship, my already sparse amount of clothes had dwindled with alarming speed. Pants got snagged on sharp metal, scorch marks ate holes through my shirts, etc. The work I did on the _Eclector_ wasn't playing nice with my clothes. Since I had no idea when the Ravagers would make port, or if the location would even have clothes for sale, I only threw out an item of clothing if it wasn't possible to wear anymore. I currently had four shirts, and three pants as well as my sleepwear. I needed sturdy fabric, but I wasn't crazy about wearing leather pants considering all of the movement I required doing my various jobs about the ship.

"Okay," I agreed. "But no leather."

"Not even a jacket?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Because I didn't feel like I should be wearing the Ravager red or flame crest. I was an outsider.

"Look, I just don't want one, okay?" I snapped.

"Okay, okay; yeesh."

Peter hurried over to the fabrics and began to bounce on his toes. "So what are you going to wear?"

I ran some ideas in my head, scraping the ones that would prove to be cumbersome and keeping in mind that I wanted clothes that would last, not make me sweat like a pig when working in the sweltering parts of the ship, and not hinder my movements.

"I think I got something in mind."

* * *

The girl was never around when he needed her. She wasn't answering her comm-link, so Yondu resorted to stalking the ship to look for her. He and his ground team were about to go planet-side to Tuloc's capital which just so happened to have a pharmacy that kept all medicine from all over the galaxy, including Terra. Him and his crew were going to snag and bag the pricier and rarer meds as well as re-stock what they needed for themselves but Yondu wasn't sure when an opportunity to acquire Terran medicine would present itself again and wanted to be prepared in case the boy fell ill. He figured Lydia would know by now where the similarities between Terran and Threxian health lie.

"Halvi!"

The giant tower of midnight and muscle jumped to attention. "Yes, sir?"

"Ya seen Brosh?"

"Erm, yeah."

"Recently?"

"Very."

"Where she at?"

Halvi shifted his weight nervously. "I think she was heading to the boiler room. Some of the crew was complaining of a loss of heat in the mess hall."

Yondu fixed his crimson eyes on the fidgeting man. "Why do you look like that?"

Halvi's movements ceased. "Like what?"

"Like you're hopin' I don't go lookin' for her."

"No reason."

"Oh there's a reason," Yondu insisted, stepping closer to the man. Halvi towered over him but he didn't feel the least bit intimidated. "What's she done?"

"…She went to the Tailor."

It occurred to him that leather would enhance Lydia's curves to perfection. Keeping his annoyed expression, Yondu shrugged his shoulders impatiently. "So?"

"She didn't go with the basic uniform design."

A crease appeared on Yondu's forehead. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She… um…"

"Aw, hell," Yondu growled irritably and pushed past Halvi. He was getting nowhere with him. He stormed down the corridor, his boots clanging against the metal floors until he came to the steam-filled doorway of the boiler room. He went inside, already prepared for the noise and the heat, and called out to the first blurry-shaped crewman he could see.

"Is Lydia in here?"

Yondu thought he saw the man smirk and point towards the back. Yondu nodded and headed that way. A loud hiss of steam billowed into his path, blocking his vision as he rounded a corner of pipes. "Lydia!"

"Here, Captain!" her voice answered.

"Girl, why ain't you answerin' yer comm?" Squinting through the slowly thinning steam, he could just make out her form moving about.

"What are you talking about? I haven't heard you try to contact me at all?"

He was almost through the steam. "Is it turned on?"

"Of course it's turned – oh…" An embarrassed pause followed and he saw her make an adjustment. "Now it is." She bent over to resume her task. "What were you hailing me for?"

"I need ya to –," the words died on his lips as his heart nearly gave out on him. He'd cleared the mist and could now clearly see just what Halvi's nervousness and the crewman's smirk had been about.

She was in the process of tightening a bolt and bent over in a way that displayed how well her new, curve-hugging, short pants showed off her thighs. A utility belt encircled her hips, the spear gadget hanging within easy reach. Her yellow tank-top was damp with sweat and stuck to her skin like – oh sweet mercy …

 _Forget what I needed ya for before – I need ya_ now _, girl._

"Ground Control to Captain Yondu," Lydia called, waving a hand in his face.

Yondu snapped out of it and glared. He let it happen again! "What the hell are you wearin', woman?"

"Clothes, _duh_."

She turned to walk towards a tool box on the floor a few feet away and Yondu's mouth began to water. How was it possible he hadn't noticed just how much sway those hips of hers had?

"Those ain't clothes. Those are – are –," he swallowed and tore his gaze from her butt and determinedly focused on her pony-tail, "a distraction."

Lydia let out a laugh as she crouched and returned some tools into the box. It took everything in Yondu to keep his attention on the back of her head. He didn't think his heart could take another hit. _And I thought I knew what cruelty was._

"Just who is being distracted by my clothes, hm?" she asked, thankfully rising, and turned to him.

He was about to snap at her but stopped as he closely studied her face. She didn't have a clue. She wasn't messing with him; she honestly wanted to know who was being distracted by her choice of clothes. _She must think I hate her so much I've become immune or somethin'._

"From the looks of it you're the only one my clothes seem to be distracting," Lydia said with a playful smirk. It wasn't meant to be flirty but Yondu's reaction was the same as if it had been.

In order to divert her attention from his own problem, Yondu gritted his teeth into a snarl and roughly pushed past her. He snatched up the tool box. "Just who gave you permission to be usin' these tools?"

Lydia's brow wrinkled in confusion at his sudden change of subject. "Um, I didn't exactly ask, I just –,"

"Took it," Yondu finished sharply.

Her features took on a mixture of hurt and frustration. "Don't start that again."

"Start what – the fact that you've stolen from me before?"

"I've said I'm sorry."

"Is that supposed to mean somethin'?"

Her green eyes became closed-off. "No. I guess it wouldn't to someone like you." She wiped her hands on a dirty rag and tossed it aside. When she spoke again there was a tremor in her voice. "I'm done in here, so you can take those tools where they belong without worrying I'll filch them." She gave him a wide-berth as she marched past for the door.

"Cap'n!" Kraglin's voice shouted through his comm-link.

"What is it, Kraglin?" Yondu answered.

"It's about Quill, sir!"

Lydia stopped in her tracks and fumbled with her communicator, still new to its workings. "What's happened? Is he hurt?" she asked, fearfully. Even Yondu was a bit uneasy about what Kraglin's answer would be.

"He's – uuuh – he's – um –,"

"Spit it out, Kraglin!" Yondu barked.

"Quill's currently trying to strangle Brahl in the cargo hold."

Both Yondu and Lydia exchanged looks of surprised bewilderment before taking off out the door.

* * *

When we finally arrived in the cargo hold, I nearly ran smack into Halvi's back. He and numerous others were gathered around where I assumed Peter and Brahl's confrontation was taking place.

"Ah, Lydia the Guardian, you made it," Halvi said cheerfully over the mass of shouting. Yondu was already pushing his way through the ring.

"What happened?" I asked loudly, partly to be heard over everyone else and also because my voice had to carry farther up to reach Halvi's ears.

"I happened to see it get started. Peter was sitting in that corner," he pointed towards a collection of crates that I could just picture Peter favoring as a hide-out, "and he was holding a little package wrapped in some colorful paper. He was just staring at it, making no move to open it. Brahl must have seen him too cause he headed straight for the boy and swiped it out of his hands. Quill demanded Brahl give it back and when he laughed in the boy's face Quill jumped him."

I blinked. "Peter jumped him?"

"Yes."

"Actually jumped him."

"That's what I said."

"I know what you said, but I still can't picture it."

Halvi parted the bodies in front of us and gestured. "See for yourself."

I gaped. Peter was straddled on Brahl's back, his little legs wrapped around the Achemonian's waist and his arms looped 'round the neck. Brahl's scared and leathery face was quickly turning from its normal pinkish-tan color to bright red as he struggled to sling Peter off his back while clawing at the kid's arms. Yondu was inside the circle of men and instead of trying to break up the fight like I expected, he was observing them.

"Do something, you _borga_!" I yelled at him.

Yondu gave me a 'just what am I supposed to do about it?' look when he knew good and well what he could be doing! I glared daggers at him until he rolled those red eyes and started hollering at Brahl and Peter as he stepped forward and pried Peter off the Achemonian. Peter swung his fists, kicking his legs, and squirming with all his might to try to get back to fighting Brahl.

"What's got yer blood boilin', boy?" Yondu shouted, keeping a firm grip on him.

"He took it from me!"

The crew began to simmer down in order to hear.

"Took what, son?"

But it was obvious that Peter was so focused on getting back what was his that Yondu's question fell on deaf ears.

"A small package, sir," Halvi answered. "I saw Brahl swipe it from him."

"Snitch," Rixh mumbled loud enough for those near him to hear. Halvi lifted one unamused brow at him and the blue alien redirected his gaze to the floor as he gave a light cough.

"Yarov," Yondu called, and spun Peter into the arms of a human-looking man with messy black hair and wearing what looked like eye-liner. Yarov held Peter back as Yondu approached the still gasping Brahl lying on the floor. His boot pushed Brahl onto his back and then he crouched down to peer down at him. "Did you steal somethin' from the boy?" he asked.

Brahl shook his head fervently.

"Liar!" Peter shouted and his squirming intensified. Yarov adjusted his grip so that one arm was crossed over Peter's chest.

"I got's two people sayin' that you did," Yondu went on calmly. "Ya wanna rethink what ya said?"

Again Brahl shook his head and reached up to massage his neck. The movement dislodged a festively wrapped parcel from his jacket pocket.

Yondu poked at it and pretended to be curious. "What's this?" He pulled it out and gasped. "Well lookie here." His face clouded over with silent anger and he narrowed his eyes at Brahl. "Ya sure ya don't wanna change yer answer?"

"Oh, uh – I was gonna give it back, captain, I – _ack_!"

Yondu grabbed him by the throat and lifted him from the floor in one fluid movement. Brahl's feet dangled off the floor. Was it wrong of me to suddenly find myself thinking, _Woof; Yondu's got some muscles._ Not the time or place? Okay, moving on…

Yondu's mouth was drawn into a stiff scowl as he sneered at Brahl. "Ravagers don't steal from each other. That's part of the code, Brahl. You know that."

"But – but," Brahl choked.

"But what?"

"He ain't a Ravager."

"Is he wearing Ravager garb, boy?"

Brahl's beady eyes flitted over to Peter then back to Yondu. "Well _now_ he is, but –,"

"But nothin'!" Yondu hissed, flexing his hand and causing Brahl to garble. "That boy's a part of this crew now an' that means the code applies to him." Without taking his eyes off of Brahl, Yondu's free hand extended out, holding the parcel. "Boy."

Yarov released Peter and gave him a light push towards the captain when he displayed some hesitation. I couldn't blame the kid, I was nervous too after seeing Yondu haul a full-grown man up with one hand and dangle him off the floor for an extended amount of time. His arm wasn't even trembling! I should have been wary but … like I said, _woof._

Peter seemed to think that Yondu was going to yank the package away once he reached out for it from the way he was looking back and forth at it and the captain. "Well, ya want it back or what, boy?" Yondu snapped, prompting Peter into action. He snatched his parcel back and hugged it to his chest.

"Peter, come here," I said, motioning towards me. He hurried over and I placed both hands on his shoulders as he turned to watch.

"Alright, show's over!" Yondu barked. "Back to work!"

"Ya heard the captain! Back to work!" Kraglin echoed.

Yondu set Brahl on the ground and jerked him close. "You ever think about stealin' from anybody else on this crew, I'm gonna show ya what it's like to have one eye stolen in the dead of night. Are we clear?"

Brahl nodded quickly.

"Alright, git!" Yondu roughly shoved him away. Brahl stumbled, righted himself and scampered off.

"Kraglin, gather the ground team so we can go planet-side. I want them ready in fifteen minutes."

"Yessir!"

"Thanks," Peter's voice softly said once the noise level had died down.

"What's that?" Yondu asked, turning to him.

"I said, 'thanks'."

"Oh." He stood there awkwardly, unsure how to respond. "Don't let it happen again."

"I won't," the kid assured him.

"You're going planet-side?" I asked.

"That's what I said." He adjusted his coat and started walking only to halt and look back at me. "The place we're goin' to hit, it's got a well-stocked pharmacy includin' some Terran medicine. I was looking for ya earlier to ask if you know of any types I should grab for the boy and yerself?"

My eyebrows knitted together in surprised confusion. He was concerned about me and the kid's health? At my expression Yondu rolled his eyes. "I ain't got no use for a sick or dead crew, Brosh. Ain't that hard to figure."

 _Of course_.

"Got an info-disk on you?" I asked. He patted his pockets a moment then produced one. I reached out and he snatched it back. I frowned. "Oh please, Yondu, where exactly am I going to run off if I tried to steal it from you?"

He grudgingly handed it over and I brought up an article I'd been researching over the past week about Terran health. Since I didn't have my own info-disk, I'd had to often borrow Halvi's. I guess being from the same planet kind of endeared me to him because he was proving to be an ally of sorts to me and Peter. I showed the article to Yondu and tapped the screen to highlight the list of medications at the bottom. "I've cross-referenced these to make sure this article wasn't bogus and it's reliable. And over here," I swiped my finger to the right of the list to reveal another. "This shows an equivalent to the brand if a Terran made one can't be found." I swiped further down the article. "And this shows similarities between Terran and Threxian remedies."

Yondu's brows rose and he looked at me appraisingly. "You've done your work, Brosh."

"Do my ears deceive me or do you actually sound impressed?" I teased. He grunted and tucked away the info-disk. "Will you be back late?"

The look he gave me was comical. "What are you, my wife?"

"I'm only asking because…" I glanced down at Peter who tilted his head up at me and smiled. I smiled back and proceeded to cover his ears. "Because of a certain little project."

Recollection sparked in Yondu's eyes. "Ah." He glanced down at the kid. "Ain't you got somewhere to scurry off to?"

Peter shrugged. "Not really."

I screwed up my mouth to hold back a giggle. Yondu's brows furrowed and he lightly shoved Peter aside. "Go find somethin' useful to do. Yer wearin' Ravager red now, you should start pullin' yer weight round here."

"Like what?"

"Why don't you go and find out?" Yondu said unhelpfully.

Peter looked at me as if to say, "I'm supposed to do _what_?" I gestured for him to go. "Okaaay," he said, uncertainly.

"Go on, git!"

Peter took off. I had no doubt he'd find some place to crawl in and hide instead of seeking work.

"We shouldn't be gone long. Eight hours tops."

I nodded. "Right. Well, if it's alright with you I could just get the gun from your room and find somewhere to work on it."

Yondu quirked an eyebrow. "Did you just suggest going into my quarters without me there to supervise you?"

I sighed. "Forget it. I'll wait for you."

"That's more like it." His eyes scanned me up and down. "Wear somethin' less 'showy' when ya show up." He turned on his heel to go.

"Be safe," I blurted.

He twisted his head around, baffled. "What's that?"

"I said 'be safe'."

"That's what I thought you said, but why'd you say it?"

 _Because I still like you a teeny-tiny bit even though you're being an absolute_ borga _and for some confounded reason I don't want to see you get hurt._

"A dead captain isn't in the best of interests for me or Peter is it?" I said, shrugging off-handedly.

"…Right…"

I rocked back and forth on my heels a bit. "Okay, so – um, right. I'll see you later then." I quickly turned and began to walk away.

* * *

 _That girl's got too fine an ass for her own good_ , Yondu thought as he watched her go. If she showed up in his quarters still dressed like that –

He took a steadying breath and closed his eyes as he exhaled. _Focus on the job_. Kinda hard to do at the moment but he'd find a way to block her out. As Yondu made his way to the hangar, his thoughts drifted back to Knowhere and the night their paths crossed.

Being a Ravager, people automatically feared you. Looking the way Yondu did, his intense red eyes, the scars on his face, the muscled build, and the sharp, jagged teeth; people were instantly wary and thought twice about going up against him even before they realized he was a Ravager. The moment Yondu entered a room people took notice and they put distance between them and him. _You don't want to mess with me_ practically exuded off of him; which was why he'd been a bit caught off guard when Lydia walked right next to him and started chatting him up. She'd shown no fear of him, the only time she acted nervous was when she'd seen his Ravager crest but it had been brief and they'd gone back to flirting. Sure she'd only been conning him and had known all along he was a Ravager but… She still hadn't been scared of _him_ , his appearance.

 _She sure looked scared a week ago._

 _She thought I was angry – furious at her._

It had happened so fast, the instant – what? Connection? Yondu shuddered at such a sentiment but it was the closest phrasing he could think of to describe what happened that night at the Terran wares cart. Conversation flowed easily between them and she wasn't throwing herself at him like some common prostitute would do, but he was so used to those being the only kind of women to blatantly show him any attention that he'd thoughtlessly made the comment about looking for her pimp. Because he was so intimidating, Yondu usually had to make the first move and after he showed them what he could do for them, the ladies loved him. So for a pretty little thing like Lydia to have strolled up and smiled at him without a hint of fear, _that_ had got his attention and he'd upped the charm in return.

His past taught him not to get attached to anyone and yet he'd allowed himself to make a very big mistake that night. He'd fallen fast in such a short amount of time and it infuriated him to such an extent that Yondu wanted to kick in the faces of a hundred Kree soldiers. She'd felt so damn good against him and those kisses were so right. He should have known better. _He should have known better_! Had his past taught him nothing? Getting attached to someone only ended up in pain and it had proven to be right. When it turned out she was playing him, the pain had been completely unexpected. Watching her run off with the M-ship parts had hurt. She was a perfect stranger to him; how the hell did she manage to burrow herself into him so fast?

"Cap'n?"

Yondu looked up from his M-ship's control console. Kraglin was hailing him from his own ship as they neared Tuloc's atmosphere.

"Everythin' alright?" Kraglin asked.

Yondu blinked in surprise. He'd barely registered the transition from the _Eclector_ to flying for Tuloc. He flicked on the comms to answer Kraglin. "Everything's fine here. Why do you ask?"

"Well, we've been waitin' for ya to give the 'okay' to move forward."

"Guess my comms are actin' up," Yondu lied. He made adjustments to his instruments and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He switched his comms to link with the whole team of M-ships. "On my lead, boys…"

* * *

"You gonna tell me what's so special about that box?" I asked when I caught up with Peter. As I'd predicted, he'd found someplace to hide instead of doing work. This time it wasn't an empty washer machine I found him in, it was a ground ventilation shaft that he'd managed to unscrew the cover of and crawl inside. I lowered myself onto the floor, legs criss-crossed and peered through the vent's slating at him. He sat at the entrance, the box in his hands, headphones around his neck but the music loud enough for me to hear.

 _But then I fooled around and fell in love…_

At first I thought he wasn't going to answer me. He was quiet for almost a minute. "Mom knew she wasn't gonna be around for my ninth birthday so she had it with her at the hospital when I came to see her…" His bottom lip trembled. "When I came to see her for the last time." A sniff echoed in the shaft and he wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve. "She told me to open it when she was gone."

"Why haven't you?"

"…I can't. If I open it…"

I hesitated and chose my words very carefully. "Peter… not opening that box isn't going to change the fact that she _is_ gone."

Peter lifted his eyes to me. Judging from the expression on his face I'd hit the nail on the head about his thought process.

"I don't want to say goodbye. Not yet."

I looked at the tiny box and at his damp cheeks. "I get it. But one day you'll have to face it. I'll let you decide when the time is right."

"What if it's a long time from now?"

"I honestly hope not, but I'm not gonna push it. It's not for me to say. But from now on, how about we leave that in your room where no one can find it, alright?"

Peter sniffed, wiped his nose again, then nodded. "Alright."

* * *

The job went off without a hitch. They'd gotten away with nearly a quarter million units worth of pharmaceuticals; so why was the captain being all broody and not celebrating with the rest of them? He'd been like that all day-cycle and it was becoming a bit worrisome. All around Kraglin was the cheering and slapping of backs from his fellow crewmen and yet the captain didn't even crack a smile. If Yondu's constant glancing at Lydia and Peter across the room was anything to go by then Kraglin figured he had an inkling what his captain's current mood was all about. The captain had been a bit out of sorts ever since the girl joined the crew.

"You should talk to him."

Halvi's deep voice nearly made Kraglin jump out of his seat. Lydia was right. There was no reason why big men should be so light on their feet. Covering up his startled reaction with a stretch, Kraglin shifted in his seat so that the table was to his back and he could lean his elbows on it and face Halvi.

"Talk to who?" he asked.

Halvi tilted his head at Yondu. "The captain. I sense it too. There's something weighting on his mind."

"Yeah. But why should I be the one to talk to him?"

Halvi grinned, his pearly teeth glinting in the light. "You're first mate. You've got the delivering and carrying out orders part down but now it's time you started working on the other half of that position."

"What other half?"

"The captain trusts you to carry out his orders and handle things when he's not present, but being first mate also means that he trusts your judgment and advice. And sometimes he needs a second person's perspective whether he asks for it or not."

Kraglin mulled over that for a bit. "What if he don't want my advice?"

"Then that's on him. A wise captain takes heed of the one he made his right hand man."

 _I'm still a bit shocked he chose me in the first place,_ he thought.

Of all the men of Yondu's crew, Kraglin could have named at least five others whom he'd been certain the captain would make his first mate when the last one turned against him. Horuz, Tullk, Garim, Halvi, and Qip. Those men had been with the captain far longer than Kraglin and were older and experienced too. Until Peter came along, he was the youngest member on the _Eclector_ so it never crossed his mind that he'd be considered for such an important job. He was so floored when Yondu called his name and promoted him that he couldn't move or speak for several minutes. The captain assured him it wasn't a mistake that he'd been picked and since then Kraglin pushed himself to prove it to everyone else too. But he was young and still learning and sometimes needed some pointers.

Kraglin took a big gulp of his drink and nodded. "Right."

Halvi slapped him on the back hard enough to make him slip from his seat. "Don't worry; if he bits your head off me and Tullk will make sure you have a decent funeral."

Kraglin swallowed nervously. "You really know how to erase all the confidence built up from a pep talk, don't ya?"

Halvi displayed his pearly teeth and tipped his beverage at him in a toast.

Turning away and directing his feet towards the captain, Kraglin took a deep breath and started walking. He tried out opening phrases in his head and quickly scrapped them. He was almost at Yondu's table; he had to come up with something quick! Yondu looked up from his bottle and squinted at him.

 _Here it goes…_

"Hi."

 _Well, it's a start. Can't go wrong with that, can ya?_

"Kraglin, sit down."

"Yessir." He quickly did so, banging his knees in the process. He held back a curse and ignored the stinging pain.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one, Cap'n."

"You got a girl back on Xandar?"

Kraglin guffawed. "Nah." He'd only been sixteen when he joined the Ravagers.

Yondu nodded distractedly and shifted his bottle around a bit. "It's better that ya don't. I tell that to any new recruits that if they got a girl they either gotta drop 'er or not join my crew. It could be months or years between visits."

Kraglin remained silent, glancing at the four empty bottles at Yondu's elbow and the half full one currently in his hand. He'd seen the captain guzzle down three _yirshmas_ before feeling any side effects. A bottle of _yirshma_ could make most men as drunk as if they'd downed half a keg. The liquor they had on the ship wasn't near as strong as _yirshma_ but still had some kick. Yondu had a much higher alcohol tolerance, probably something to do with his species.

The was the slightest hint of slur to his words as he spoke again. "Don't get attached to any girl, Kraglin. It's only gonna get ya in trouble."

"Um, okay."

"Don't argue with me about it, I know what I'm talkin' about."

"Sure thing, Cap'n."

"You're just bein' stubborn now."

Kraglin recounted the bottles. Apparently he'd missed the two that rolled onto the floor. Okay, so maybe the captain was a _little_ drunk.

"Sir, has this got anything to do with Lydia?" Kraglin asked cautiously.

Yondu gave him a side-long glare. "Why ya bringin' her up?"

"Well, um…" He scratched the back of his neck, trying to figure out where to go from here. "Ya been a bit, well, off since she was brought on board."

"Off?"

"Just a bit. Kinda distracted, ya know? A little more…irritable."

Yondu's head slowly turned to face him. "Is that right?" he asked in a flat tone.

Kraglin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "Just a bit," he repeated in a wobbly voice.

After several long seconds of staring at him, Yondu finally sighed and looked down at his bottle. "You might be right."

Kraglin released a sigh of relief. "How come she got you so distracted, sir?"

Yondu's eyes flitted about, checking that no one was close enough to listen in. He fixed his red gaze on Kraglin and lowered his voice to a threatening rasp. "If you tell anybody what I'm about to say then I won't hesitate to put this here arrow through your eye." He patted his holster, eyes never straying from him. "Ya hear me?"

Kraglin gulped. "Loud an' clear, Cap'n."

Yondu studied him a moment to be sure, then took a long swig from his liquor. "I did a fool thing when I met Lydia on Knowhere. I let my guard down. Didn't think she was anything but a regular girl lookin' for some excitement on that low-down space mine. All we did was talk but…" He gazed at his hands, studying the scars and callouses. "I ain't had no woman talk to me like that in –," His brow furrowed in thought. "Hell, I don't think anyone's just talked with me before without wantin' somethin' in return."

Kraglin winced.

"She fooled me and then she goes and tells me she didn't wanted to do it 'cause she ended up liking me. Part of me still wants to believe her but the galaxy didn't exactly deal me a good hand so it's more likely she was tellin' me a load of crap just to get out of being killed. But then," he snorted bitterly, "then the girl tells me to be safe just before we left for the job." His eyes were distant as they focused on the table top. It was like Kraglin wasn't there anymore.

"She got under my skin and didn't even have the decency to let me get her outta my system. Now every time I see 'er…there's this itch – a constant buzz in my skull whenever she's around me."

Kraglin waited to see if Yondu would go on but apparently he'd said his piece. He processed the captain's words, putting it all together, and came to one conclusion. "So ya wanna have sex with her really bad?"

Yondu lifted the bottle to his lips. "Oh hell yes."

* * *

When the smell of alcohol started to fill the air of the mess hall, I decided it was time for Peter to head on to bed and scooted him out the door. It was getting late anyway for an eight year old. At least that's what that article about healthy sleeping routines said for boys his age. I cast a backward glance towards the captain. He was deep in conversation with Kraglin and looked to have had quite a few drinks but I hoped he wouldn't forget or be too drunk to keep our final meeting later in the night. I bid Peter goodnight and changed into some dingy cargo pants that I dared Yondu to complain about and a leather vest I'd gotten from the Tailor. No flame crest on its surface.

I lay I bed listening to music for about an hour and a half, waiting for the majority of the crew to disperse from the mess hall and go to sleep. When I felt I waited long enough, I slipped on a leather hip holster pack I'd also had the Tailor make for my music box. It also had strip of leather with a snap on the end so I could hang my headphones at my side instead of around my neck. To provide extra security, there was a strap that encircled my left thigh so the pack wouldn't bounce around.

Before leaving my room, I checked my reflection. Honestly if Yondu had issues with this outfit then that was his own problem. I still couldn't understand what his deal was with the shorts I was wearing earlier. I'd had those pants made with working in places like the boiler room specifically in mind because of the heat. Sure I had still sweated like a pig but not as badly as I would have in long pants that would soak up my sweat and cling to my skin unbearably for hours. Yes, exposing my legs was risky, like say if I brushed up against a hot pipe but I'd been trained to be very cautious around machinery and trusted the skills that Malek taught me.

I realized with a sudden pang that I missed that red-skinned, eight armed, always in a bad mood troll. He'd risked his life for me and I never even got to thank him for it. I only had Yondu's word that Malek and the others in his garage had been spared. And Zeg… I couldn't really bring myself to hate him for what he'd done. If I'd been in his position I would probably have done the same. It still hurt though.

When I came to Yondu's quarters I went through the routine of shaking away any tension and told myself that after tonight it would be over. I wouldn't have to go through the awkwardness of being alone in semi-close quarters with him again. And this was all for Peter.

I lifted my hand to knock and the door slide open before I even got the chance. "Finally showed up, huh?" Yondu's gruff voice slurred.

 _Greeeeat. Ornery_ and _drunk. Lovely combination._

I stepped inside and found him already at the work bench, the tools laid out and waiting for me. "I wasn't sure how long Ravagers like to celebrate their victories," I told him.

"It died down about an hour after you left," he mumbled. He was handling the stun gun but I noticed he had to squint a lot and bring his face close to it.

I picked up my pace and casually took the gun from him as if I wanted to inspect what work was left to be done. He didn't complain. He sagged into his chair and let out a tired sigh. "Would you rather I didn't play any music tonight?" I asked him, observing him. Over the week I'd gotten Yondu to reluctantly allow me to play music while I worked because I told him it helped me focus which was partially true. Music helped direct my attention on a task but I could work without it. I mostly played the music to fill the silence that developed between us.

Yondu grunted and limply waved a hand. "Go ahead. You said it helps ya focus, didn't ya?"

"Yeah, but if you need some quiet –,"

"Then stop yappin'."

I smirked and removed my music box from its pack. "Sir, yes, sir." I plugged it in and was glad the tape I'd brought wasn't one that featured the loud, drum pounding, guitar riffing music I favored. This tape comprised of some fairly mellow songs that I'm sure Yondu's drunk self would appreciate.

As I worked on the weapon, tweaking and making final adjustments, I was aware of Yondu's eyes on me. Trust me, men like Yondu have such intense stares that you can feel it the instant it's turned on you. I ignored it the best I could until I became so engrossed with what I was doing that I barely registered Yondu's presence.

"Yer pretty good at this stuff. Tinkerin' and all that."

* * *

Lydia gave an unintelligible grunt as she eyed the site line of the gun and set it down to make a note.

"You don't half-ass a job yer given either."

"Hmm."

"Woman, I'm tryin' ta tell you somethin'!"

Lydia jumped in surprise, snapping out of her focus. "Wha?"

"Have I got yer attention?" he slurred a bit. She nodded. "Kraglin tells me we've got an issue with things getting broken and nobody ever gets around to fixin' 'em. Stuff like weapons that glitch or need alterations, crap like that. It just gets set aside and no one gets around to repairing it so we got a room full of junk. If I were to clear out a room as a workplace and assign you as the ship's tinker gal of sorts, would you be opposed to it?"

Lydia's cocked her head to the side. "You're asking me?"

"Thought I used the right amount of inflection in my tone, but yeah. I'm askin'."

"Would I still be given random assignments?"

"Your time'll be taken up with repairs and watchin' the kid. I'll probably dump those jobs on him."

She peered at him, her green eyes narrowing. Yondu found himself studying the freckles on her nose and cheeks. "You don't look too drunk to not know what you're saying," she mused aloud.

Yondu grinned. "Honey, if I were drunk you'd certainly know it."

She sat back in her seat and pursed her lips in thought. "Okay."

"You'll take the job?"

Her mouth curled into a pretty smile. "Yeah. I'd like that."

A pleasant warmth seeped into his chest at the sight. He told himself it was just the alcohol messing with him.

 **(Whoo! Alright, that chapter is done! Dang, that was twenty-seven pages long! I hope it wasn't too slow in some places. Please let me know your thoughts or some polite criticism on what I could improve on. I love hearing from ya'll! Until next time, Dear Readers!)**


	7. And It Feels Like the First Time

**(I'm baaack. Didja miss me? Hopefully the answer was 'yes' and that you've been looking forward to reading more antics that Lydia gets herself into.)**

 **[Song Suggestions for Ch. 7]**

 **~ 'Nothin' At All by Heart (the music Lydia is listening to when Yondu shows up)**

 **~ 'Since I Met You, Baby' by Sam Cooke (when Lydia and Peter are bored in the M-ship)**

 **~ 'Why Can't We Be Friends' by War (I feel the chorus works excellently when Yondu's deal goes south)**

 **~ 'Armageddon It' by Def Leppard (play this the moment Lydia tells Peter to "Buckle up.")**

 **~ 'What A Wonderful World' and 'Moon River' by Louis Armstrong (mentioned by Lydia when she's cleaning Peter's wound)**

Chapter Seven

 _And It Feels Like the First Time…_

A Week Later

Peter loved his new weapon – I mean, he _loved_ it! He carried that thing with him everywhere and it became a permanent addition to his belt along with the Walkman. When I first presented Peter with his new stun gun I noticed that Yondu conveniently hung around to look over some star charts with Kraglin and dare I have imagined that I saw the blue _borga_ smirk in satisfaction at the kid's excited reaction? Of course, the moment he caught me looking he wiped that smile off his face and glowered the rest of the time. To make it even more believable that he hadn't had a hand in the process, Yondu asked me in front of several crewmen if it was smart to be giving the kid a weapon! Considering the company on board the ship, yeah, I think it was a really smart decision to give the kid a weapon. After all, it was _his_ idea. But could I remind him of that? No. So I settled for a bland excuse about dangerous situations amongst Ravagers and that seemed to cut it for the crew.

As for my new role on the ship as Miss Fix-It, I was doing really well. All the broken crap Yondu had complained about was soon drastically reduced and so were the crews' grumbles concerning my purpose on the ship. My new routine consisted of waking up, getting dressed, taming my hair, then waking Peter up, getting him dressed, and taming his hair, which by the way I thought _I_ had bad bed head, but this kid could almost rival me. After breakfast, Peter would roam the ship and I'd go to my work station and see what needed to be fixed or altered. If the work load was small, I'd finish it up and go seek out Peter and take up my duties as guardian. If the work load appeared that it would take up a large amount of time, then I'd break up the process into set hours so I wouldn't end up shirking my responsibilities towards Peter. That's how it went for a week, and then I got my next communication with my mom's doctor.

The bills for her medical treatments were starting to pile up. Even though the units I earned from Yondu were more than I could have ever aquired on Knowhere, they were just enough to cover the bills but leave me and Peter with very little. It wasn't much of a problem since the ship spent most of the time out in space but whenever we made supply stops, it proved to be a bit of an issue. It never occurred to me that there were different rates of pay among the crew. For some naïve reason I thought everyone received equal shares. But then I was talking with Halvi about when he'd first started as a Ravager and he mentioned what he'd earned back then versus what he was earning currently.

"Wait; is everyone's earnings different on the ship?" I asked.

"Yes. The ones who make the most units are those who go off-ship during raids and such."

"Why's that?"

Halvi's midnight eyes gave me a humorous look. "If there is the chance that you'll be shot at wouldn't you want to make it worth your while?"

"Fair point," I conceded.

Our talk got me to thinking though. I knew that at some point the medical treatments for Mom would become more expensive. If my pay didn't increase I'd have to deposit my entire earnings to the hospital and leave Peter and I to chance, or I'd have to adjust her care to something more affordable and risk loosing the progress she'd gained. If I joined the ground team I'd get more units, but then by risking my life I'd be risking Peter's safety if something were to happen to me. Oh what's a girl to do with so many fabulous choices, right?

I was pondering said options while holding a blowtorch to a panel of metal and listening to my jams when I felt 'disapproval' being aimed at the back of my neck. I killed the torch and lifted my helmet to inspect my work while tossing a, "Hey, Yondu," over my shoulder.

"Ya shouldn't be listening to that crap while working a torch," he grumbled from behind me.

I turned and placed a hand on my hip. "This stuff," I said, pointing at my headphones, "is _not sprek_."

"How are ya s'pposed to hear anyone if ya got the torch goin' and yer ears blasted with music?"

"I've got my comm-link on."

"But which have you got the sound turned up louder?" he asked, pointedly.

"My comm-link," I answered with a sassy smirk. Yondu 'tsked' and looked over my work. "Is there something you wanted to say or did you just come down to my work station to grump at me?"

His eyes narrowed for a brief moment at my jab but he moved on. "We've got a prospect for a gig and I'm gonna be leavin' the ship. I want ya to keep a close eye on Quill while I'm gone."

My interest perked up. "What kind of a gig?"

"The fella we're gonna meet with has the coordinates and codes of a highly valuable fuel tanker. Says he needs our help to hijack it and wants to talk strategy and percentages with me."

"Are you taking some men with you?"

"Yeah."

"Could I come?"

The expression on his face would have been funny if it were aimed at anyone but me. "Excuse me, darlin'! You ain't even combat trained!"

"If it's just a meeting then it's not that dangerous, right?"

"Wrong! Anything involvin' Ravagers is dangerous. I ain't taken ya with me; I'd end up havin' to baby-sit you."

"I can take care of myself."

His hand moved aside his coat to reveal his arrow's holster. "Yeah, ya showed us how well you could do that, didn't ya, darlin'."

"I doubt anyone else is going to have a Yakka arrow with them."

"I made my decision. Yer stayin' on the ship an' lookin' after Quill," he said with such firmness that even I could see the folly of arguing further with him. But I had one last card to play.

"Fine," I fumed, turning my back and pretending to recheck the setting on the torch. "It's not like I'd be in any less danger on this ship with your men anyways." I flipped the helmet down and fired up the blowtorch.

* * *

Her last comment made him pause. He eyed her outfit of the day. Thank whatever deity that mattered, she'd worn long cargo pants instead of those shorts, but they hung low due to the heavy tool belt and gave Yondu a glimpse of perfectly shaped hips. She was also wearing that yellow tank top she favored along with her brown leather jacket as protection from any sparks caused by the blowtorch. She still cut a tempting figure and the leering stares from his crew hadn't let up. That was the real reason why he'd given Lydia back her spear gadget, because she'd been right. His crew were men and Ravagers were not known for being morally upstanding citizens. Even though sexual assault was against the Ravager Code, Yondu unfortunately couldn't say he knew for certain that each of his men would uphold it. And now he had a pretty girl on his crew and the time for another planet-side leave was a long ways away.

"On second thought," he started, and then paused to tap her shoulder when she showed no reaction to hearing him over the roar of the blowtorch. She lifted the heat shield and titled her head at him questioningly but he caught the little glimmer of triumph in her green eyes. He couldn't decide if he was impressed or mad that she'd played him again! "I'll take you and Quill with us on my ship so he can start learnin', but ya'll will stay behind."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What exactly is Peter going to learn if you leave him on the ship?"

"You wanna waste time questionin' me or do ya wanna get yer ass ready?"

Without another word, Lydia put away the blowtorch and ditched the helmet. As she hurried out of the room, Yondu could hear her informing Peter via comm-link about their change of plans.

* * *

On board Yondu's M-ship, Peter and I were squeezed in the back as the official ground team took up the seats. Before boarding, Halvi told me that Yondu was taking a small team for the trip instead of the usual pack which normally totaled around twenty. Kraglin sat next to Yondu up front, Halvi and Horuz were in the seats behind them, and Rixh and Yarov sat in the final available seats. Peter and I had to make do with the floor but I made sure to find something to strap Peter down. The last thing I needed was an unexpected loop-de-loop to send the kid face-planting the ceiling.

He sat next to me, contentedly bobbing his head to music and looking about the ship with awe. I gently elbowed him to get his attention. "What are you listening to now?" I asked. He grinned and slid off the headphones handing them to me without hesitation. I'd gained a lot of his trust over the past weeks and let me tell ya, that felt good. I was worried that he'd end up being suspicious of me because Yondu assigned me as his keeper but thankfully it never became an issue.

Another improvement I noticed was his appetite. He still disliked going to the mess hall on his own but so long as either I or Halvi were in there with him he did fine. Halvi had taken up a share of watching Peter without my asking which further solidified a bond between us. The darkness dweller never commented on it or held it over me as owing him favors. He just went about it in the most casual and subtle ways that you didn't realize it until later. Some of the crew had noticed and attempted to taunt him about it but that lasted for about two days. I never found out what he did to make them stop and honestly, I'd rather not find out.

Just as I was starting to get into the music, I felt the ship begin to descend and Yondu's raspy voice broke in. "Alright, boys. Once we land we walk to the meeting spot from here."

"How far is it?" Horuz asked.

"About two miles."

"Why'd ya park so far from it?" Peter's voice piped up.

"Cause sometimes ya don't want people to know where your transport is," Yondu answered.

"But if you got to make a quick get away don't you want it to be close?"

"That's why ya leave someone to pilot the ship fer emergency pick ups."

"So who's gonna –,"

I poked the kid's ribs to get him quiet before the vein on Yondu's temple started pulsing. As the ramp lowered and the team disembarked, Yondu lagged behind and adjusted his leather coat. "Don't be messin' with the controls, boy, or I'll let the crew eat ya. Got it?"

Peter quickly nodded.

"And Brosh, keep the comms open and contact us if you see anyone heading this way. Got it?"

"Loud and clear, captain."

He smirked and headed for the ramp. "By the way, Brosh," he added, "I know it's temptin' but refrain from stealin' my ship while I'm gone."

" _Borga_ ," I muttered under my breath.

"What's that, princess?" he hollered from the bottom of the ramp.

"Shove it up your blue _tookum_!" I shouted.

"You little –,"

"Cap'n, we can't be late," Kraglin intervened. Yondu growled but turned on his heel and stomped off.

* * *

You ever been stuck inside a small room with a bored eight year old boy? It's a very enlightening experience, I highly recommend it to you. What's that you say? I sound too sarcastic? Well, bully for you for noticing.

"I'm booooored," Peter whined for the umpteenth time.

I checked my time keeper again. We'd been stuck in the ship for over an hour and a half. During my boredom, I'd discovered a way to plug our music boxes into the M-ship's sound system (don't look at me like that; Yondu told _Peter_ not to mess with the controls, he said no such thing to me) and that had kept us entertained for a while but jamming out to our tunes soon lost its novelty.

"Hey, Lydia?"

"Hm?" I sounded from lounging in the captain's chair. Listening to 'Since I Met You, Baby' by Sam Cooke had put me in a lazy mood and I was considering a nap.

"Can we go outside? I want to practice with my stun gun."

I sat up with a yawn. "I don't know, Peter. I'm pretty sure Yondu wants us to remain in the ship."

"But he's taking _forever_ ," he groaned dramatically. "Besides, I haven't had a chance to test it out."

"I've done that for you, remember? It works just fine."

"But I gotta practice with it. What if I suddenly have to use it but my aim is way off?"

I knew what he was doing, heck, I used the same ploy on Yondu to get us here, but I could see the kid's point. It would do him some good to practice his aim.

"Okay, but only for a few minutes and we can't go too far from the ship."

"Awesome!' Peter hopped out of his chair and hurried over to the ramp.

"Hey, wait for me, kid," I called, unplugging my music box. I snatched up my jacket and followed after him. He hadn't gone far, only to the very base of the ramp as if he'd stopped in his tracks. "What's up, kid?" I asked, ruffling his hair. I looked away from him and at the landscape. "Whoa," I whispered. The ship had landed within the clearing of a wooded area and the trees sported glass-like leaves that caught the sunlight and cast rainbows on the ground. When a breeze ruffled the limbs, colors swayed all around in a mesmerizing dance. I could have sat there and watched the spectacle for hours, but apparently Peter had his own priorities.

"Can we go shoot stuff now?" he asked.

I scrunched my eyebrows and gave him a, "Seriously?" look but he continued to blink impatiently at me. I sighed and nudged him forward. "Fiiine. Let's set up a target for you."

* * *

"What kind of offer is ten percent? I got a crew of over a hundred; that'll be pocket change once that's split among them!" Yondu shouted, spittle flying from his mouth.

"I suppose we could raise it," Eargu said, reluctantly.

"Now that's more like it."

"To fifteen percent."

"That's not more like it. You tryin' to insult me or are ya that stupid?"

"Alright, seventeen percent and that's my final offer."

"You can take that final offer and choke on it, boy! I ain't accepting anythin' less than forty."

"Now that's a bit much, don't you think?"

"No it ain't, considerin' how much my crew and I are contributin' to this gig."

"It's absurd!"

"Yer offer of seventeen percent is absurd! I've got over a hundred Ravagers to pay and what have you got? Fifty?"

Eargu lifted a haughty eyebrow. "Fifty-three," he corrected.

"Well, excuse me, boy, didn't realize you could count that high. If yer smart enough to be usin' big numbers like fifty-three then you should be able to agree to forty-five without any trouble."

* * *

As Yondu and his team were running for their lives and doing their best to avoid the gunshots meant for them, Kraglin managed to keep pace with his captain as he puffed out, "I thought forty-five percent was more than reasonable, Cap'n!"

"Greedy maggots!" Yondu shouted back. "That's why I try to avoid dealin' with Jodas!"

Kraglin felt something zip past his cheek and saw the energy bolt dig into the ground in front of him. A narrow miss. He ducked behind a boulder and brought out his gun. He'd teach those Jodas not to fire at him!

"Ain't no time to return fire, boy! Get movin'!" Yondu hollered.

Reluctantly, Kraglin holstered his gun and hurried to catch up.

"Brosh!" Yondu barked into his comm-link. "Brosh, we need an extraction! Brosh, answer me!" He pressed a button within his coat and a holo-screen appeared. It kept up with him, always a few feet ahead. "Brosh!"

* * *

In my defense, they really should make the alerts for comm calls louder in the event that someone has to step away from the controls and go outside with a loudly enthusiastic little boy. Another thing that should be addressed is labeling the controls and buttons. Big time saver, just sayin'.

"Yeah! Lydia, I got that one! I got that one, did you see that!" Peter crowed triumphantly. He'd been trying to hit the same target for twenty minutes. He turned to me with a broad grin on his face, red curls blowing in the wind. "Lydia, did you see!"

"Great job, Peter!" I walked over and ruffled his hair. "I think it's time we head back inside, though."

"Aaaaw. Can't I practice a little longer?"

"Nah, kid. I really think we should go back."

Peter moped as we returned to the ship. As we drew nearer I became aware of a noise coming from within. I strained my ears and… My eyes flew open. "Oh _sprek_! Speed it up, Peter!" We took off running and stumbled into the ship. A small holo-screen had a picture of Yondu flashing on it. I lunged forward and frantically scanned the controls for anything that looked like an answering button. As the seconds ticked on I began to mutter beneath my breath, "Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me."

"Um, Lydia?"

"Yeah," I answered distractedly.

"I think you press the screen."

My head whipped around to face him. "Say what?"

Instead of repeating, he simply reached forward and pressed the screen. A much larger holo-screen appeared in front of us and Yondu's giant, angry, blue face glared at us. "What took you so long!" he snapped, breathlessly. The only thing the holo-screen showed was Yondu as if the background had been cropped out, so it looked a bit odd when he appeared to be running but we couldn't see what from.

I cocked my head to the side. "Yondu, are you running?"

"Nah, I'm just takin' a frolic through a field of daisies – YES, I'M RUNNIN'!"

"Why are you –,"

"Deal went bad! Get the ship to our coordinates – now!"

My mouth went dry.

"Woman, did you hear me!"

"Uh, yeaaah."

"Then get a move on!"

"You say that like you expect me to know how to fly."

Yondu's red eyes seemed to burn. "You can't fly?!" he bellowed.

"No, I can't fly! What made you think I could!"

"Woman, that's why I left you behind – as our getaway flyer!"

"You mean this thing doesn't have auto-pilot!?"

Yondu let out a stream of obscenities and I hastily covered Peter's ears and wished I had another set of hands to cover my own. "What about Peter?" he suddenly asked.

Peter's face lit up and he opened his mouth to answer when I cut him off. "He's eight years old, Yondu! No!"

Yondu grunted and his body gave a jolt as if he'd jumped. "Woman, I don't care how ya do it, just get that ship over here now!"

The screen winked out and left me with my mouth hanging open. Peter turned and gazed up at me questioningly. I shifted my stare to him. "Peter, buckle up."

* * *

I wholeheartedly do not suggest flying an M-ship without any prior flying experience. It's terrifying. I couldn't find a pilot manual anywhere! I had no idea how to get the thing off the ground! You wanna know how I managed to do that? Peter! Peter once again pointed at a contraption and asked, "Doesn't that look like a parking break to you?"

I had no idea what a parking break was but I was in a rush and I pulled it. The moment I felt the M-ship begin to lift into the air I clutched the nearest thing to me with a white-knuckled grip and terror etched all over my features. Figuring out how to make the ship stop ascending was another mind-numbing terror because I accidentally turned off the engines. We plummeted until I restarted the engines within the nick of time and we ascended again. When I worked out how to hover, Peter nervously slid his eyes to me. "Are we gonna die?" he asked.

" _Psh_ , nah!" I answered with all the false bravado I could muster which probably would have at least appeared real if I hadn't added a laugh that drifted into a whimper. Peter wordlessly tightened his seat belt. "Okay, I think this is what moves us forward and this looks like it would control the speed, right?"

"You're asking me? I'm eight, remember?"

"Well, so far you've gotten more stuff right than I have!" With an annoyed glare, I pushed the controls forward and let out an ear shattering scream as the ship moved with alarming speed. Peter was thrust deep into his seat and his hands sought purchase for anything to keep him from being pressed further into it.

"We're gonna die," he said, gulping.

* * *

Yondu and the others managed to buy themselves some time by crossing a wide river. Jodas were deathly afraid of water and couldn't swim worth squat so it put a damper in their pursuit of the Ravagers. "I think we lost 'em, Cap'n," Kraglin wheezed at his side.

Yondu shook his head. "Don't assume we're safe yet, boy. We know the coordinates and codes for that fuel tanker. They ain't gonna risk us getting' to it." He craned his neck around to take note of his team and noticed they'd begun to slow down, their gazes trained on something behind him. "Wha'chu all lookin' up for?" he snapped, coming to a halt himself.

"Uuuh, Cap'n?" Kraglin asked, squinting at the sky. "Ain't that yer ship?"

Yondu turned and directed his attention upward. Yep. That was his ship alright and from the way it was zig-zagging you'd have thought a drunk was flying the thing. It was also flying too low and wasn't slowing down.

"Does anybody else hear a woman screaming?" Rixh asked.

"Aw hell," Yondu moaned and faced his men. "Take cover, boys!"

Once the others caught on, they dived for shelter of any kind. The M-ship roared towards them and crashed through a low hanging tree limb on it's way down. It finally skidded along the ground, creating a groove in the earth and throwing waves of dirt in it's wake. The resistance helped to slow it's momentum and came to a full stop at the foot of a steep, grassy incline.

* * *

 _Do not throw up, do not throw up, do not throw up!_

Maybe if I kept telling myself that my body would get the message. My hands were so tightly clenched around the controls that in the brief state of my addled mind I thought my skin had melded with it. Several locks of my hair had escaped the braid I'd plaited earlier that morning and probably enhanced my shocked appearance.

"I think I may have peed my pants a little bit," Peter said in a tiny voice.

At the sound of his presence my mind snapped back into focus and I reached for him. "Are you okay?" I asked anxiously. My eyes searched for any signs of injury. There was a cut on his forehead but it didn't look too deep.

"I'm good," he answered, the wide-eyed look never leaving him.

 _Greeeat, I may have just scarred this kid for life if being kidnapped by Ravagers hasn't already done that._

"Brosh!" Yondu's voice broke in over my comm-link.

"Oh boy." I unbuckled myself and wobbled a bit when I realized the M-ship was slanting heavily to the left. Luckily my boots had pretty good traction so slipping was minimal as I made my way to the door. Unfortunately, the angle was too severe for the ramp to activate so when the door opened I had about a six foot drop to the ground and my balance wasn't fully reinstated yet. I tipped over the edge and only just managed not to eat dirt in front of everyone. With unsteady legs I stood up and felt myself begin to tilt backwards. By some small mercy my back came to rest against the hull of the ship and I tried to pass off my imbalance as if I'd meant to casually lean against it. "Hey, boys," I greeted and blew away the pesky locks of hair from my face. "Need a lift?"

The team had gathered closer by now and through the steadily thinning clouds of dust I spotted Yondu glowering at me. "What the hell did you do to my ship, woman!"

I opened my mouth to speak when a thud from inside the ship interrupted me and Peter suddenly slid to the edge of the door, his eyes trained on me. "That was totally awesome!" he exclaimed. "You think we could do that again?"

"Um, now's not a good time, Peter," I said, giving a pointed dip of my head towards Yondu.

The little Terran followed my aim and the ecstatic grin promptly dropped off his face. "Oh." At the sight of everyone's stare, he gave a nervous chuckle. "I'll just, uh, wait in here." He scooted himself back up the incline and out of view. I wished I could do the same but I figured that during my attempt to jump onto the ledge and haul myself back in Yondu would have caught me. So I resigned myself to endure the hot-headed shouting no doubt in store for me.

He began to circle the ship, cursing at every dent and scratch he found until he made it back to me. "I'm fine, thanks for asking," I said with some bite at the obvious lack of inquiry.

"Woman, you better hope this thing can still fly," was all I got in response.

"Lydia!" I snapped. "My name is 'Lydia Christine Brosh'! Those three names are the options of which you can address me by!"

"I'll call you whatever I damn please! Right now I'm favorin' all sorts of unflatterin' words so you better be grateful I settled for 'woman'!"

"Cap'n!" Kraglin interrupted. "Those Jodas are still out there, might'nt we commence ta escapin'?"

Yondu bared his teeth at me but nodded at his first mate's suggestion. "Everyone get on board!" he ordered, finally looking away from me. The team hastily climbed inside and I was last. The adrenaline rush was fading away and left my limbs feeling like jelly, otherwise I wouldn't have had a problem leaping up and using my arms to lift myself over the ledge of the door. I heard Rixh chuckle at my struggles and Horuz turned away with a scoff of disgust when I asked for a hand. The sounds of the engines being fired up made something crack inside me and I felt my eyes sting with the threat of tears. I redoubled my efforts to pull myself up but my arms just wouldn't cooperate. Just when I was on the verge of giving myself up to crying, a pair of strong hands latched onto my arms and helped pull me over the ledge and set me down on the sloping floor. I looked up at the towering Halvi and nodded my thanks. He silently bowed his head in acknowledgement and returned to his seat.

"All in?" Kraglin asked loudly over the noise of the ship.

"All in!" Halvi boomed back.

The door closed and waited until we were level again before I made my way to sit beside Peter. A small trickle of red blood had leaked from the cut on his forehead. "Does your head hurt?" I asked.

"Nah," he answered and then slipped on his headphones to listen to music. Seeing that I was deprived of his conversation, I glanced around in search of another and found nothing but cold glances or the backs of their heads. Following Peter's example, I placed my own headphones over my ears and cranked up the volume to drown out everything.

" _I don't want to cry  
But I can't keep tears from my eyes  
And when I meet friends,  
I hope they don't realize  
That I'm crying because I'm alone  
I don't want to cry  
But I can't keep tears from my eyes…"_

* * *

Later that night, Kraglin approached Yondu while on the _Eclector's_ bridge. "She was only doin' what you ordered, Cap'n," he reminded his fuming captain. Yondu didn't respond but Kraglin could tell he was listening. "Your M-ship didn't get any internal damage, just scraped up."

Yondu grunted in response. He was sitting in his captain's chair, fiddling with some of the figurines on his console, but he wasn't piloting the ship.

Reagan exchanged a glance with Kraglin from the co-pilot chair. "You sure you wanna keep pestering him?" he silently asked. Kraglin gave him a look that clearly meant, "Mind your own business!" Reagan shrugged and went back to his job.

Lowering his voice, Kraglin tried again. "Remember that talk we had a week back?" he asked. Yondu's red eyes slid away from the figurines to focus on him and they narrowed with warning. Kraglin proceeded cautiously. "Maybe this is one of them times that yer seein' things from an askewed angle when there was no other way for her to go about it. Ya gave her an order, she followed it despite the fact she ain't never flown before." Kraglin swallowed nervously and went on. "I think ya might 'ave been a bit too harsh and unfair towards her." This time Yondu fully turned his gaze on him. He worked his jaw a bit as he stared Kraglin down in silence. "Um…sir," Kraglin added belatedly.

Yondu looked away and focused on the figurine in his hand. A squat little creature that sported wild orange hair. He gave a long sigh through his nose.

* * *

Despite Peter's protests that his cut wasn't bothering him, I wanted to be on the safe side and told him to wait in his room while I went to med bay and got a vial of disinfectant. On my way out, I ran into the one person I least wanted to see.

Yondu was leaning on the wall beside the door as if he'd been waiting for me. "Wha'chu doin' in med bay for?"

"Disinfectant." I made to walk past him but his hand grabbed me by the elbow and steered me back to him.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, his brow furrowed with what I might have thought to be concern if it wasn't for the memory of his anger at me earlier.

I refrained from snatching my arm from his grip and settled for tugging it back. "No, I told you I'm fine."

"Wouldn't be the first time you lied to me."

I counted to five before responding. "It's for Peter."

Yondu's eyes flashed. "Peter? How bad?"

My words faltered at the genuine worry I saw in his eyes. "It's just a small cut on his forehead, nothing serious."

"Where's he at?"

"His room."

Yondu promptly turned and walked in the direction of Peter's quarters. I hurried to catch up and was relieved when he made no attempt to talk the rest of the way there. We found Peter sitting on his bed and listening to music. He looked up and quirked a brow in confusion when he saw I'd brought Yondu with me.

"Got yerself scratched up, huh?" He sat down on the bed to Peter's left. "Lemme see, boy." He took the boy's chin in his hand and turned his head towards him. "Eh, not too bad. Rub some dirt in it and you'll be fine."

"Suuure," I said, grabbing a clean rag from a drawer, "Let's rub dirt in it and risk infection." I sat on Peter's right and gently took his chin out from Yondu's grasp and turned him to me. I wet the rag with disinfectant. "This is going to sting so try to hold still."

"Okay."

I lightly began to dab his wound. He winced but didn't flinch. Yondu made no move to leave but watched. Wanting to fill the awkward silence I asked, "What are you listening to this time?"

"'I'm Not in Love'."

"Again?"

"I've only got the one cassette tape."

"Well, I've got plenty of tapes if you ever want to borrow one."

Peter's green eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Sure. Just not the one I've got in my music box at the moment. There's a couple of songs on it I've been favoring lately."

"What are they?"

"'What A Wonderful World' and 'Moon River'."

"Moon what?" Yondu and Peter asked in unison.

I smiled in amusement and continued cleaning Peter's cut. "'Moon River'. They're both nice songs and sung by a guy named Louis Armstrong."

"I heard my grandpa listening to him a lot. He's the one with the really scratchy voice, right?" He suddenly sucked air in through his teeth and cringed at a particularly sharp sting when I got a tiny bit of grit from his cut.

"I think you mean 'raspy', but yeah. I love the sound of a raspy voice."

I caught movement from over Peter's shoulder and noticed Yondu leaning forward, a sultry smirk on his face. "Is that right, princess?" he asked in his raspiest tone. My cheeks flushed and I cleared my throat in embarrassment. I attempted to give him a disapproving glare but he still wore that smirk that was making me feel uncomfortable with a small child in the room.

Quickly, I finished sanitizing Peter's wound. "All done. You can go on to my room and pick out some tapes."

Peter gave me a hurried 'thank you' and leapt to his feet, running off to my room. Giving him leave had been a mistake because now there was nothing in-between me and Yondu. I started to get up but Yondu's, "Wait just a sec, Brosh," stopped me. I waited. The silence stretched on. Unable to deal with the tense quiet, I jokingly said, "Geez, Yondu, you're yakkin' my ear off." He gave me an unimpressed look. The jovial smile on my face vanished. "Right…"

With his eyes trained on the floor, Yondu roiled his shoulders and looked as if he were about to undertake an unpleasant task. "It's been brought to my attention that I may have been too harsh with you this evenin'."

Somebody pinch me! Was Yondu about to apologize?!

"You were followin' my orders and I should have checked with you that you could fly a ship before leaving."

"Well…thank you for that. I accept your apology."

"Yondu's head snapped up. "Apology? I wasn't apologizin', I was telling you what I should have done."

My anger sparked at his remark. "Well you _should_ apologize after the way you treated me."

Yondu rose from the bed, incredulous. "Me apologize to _you_? After the way I treated _you_? What about what you did to me, huh? If anybody should be apologizing it should be _you_!"

I shot to my feet. I couldn't believe this guy! "I _have_ been apologizing to you! I've done nothing but say 'I'm sorry' over and over and over. I've lost count of how many times I've apologized to you and I've meant it every time but you don't _scarrin'_ care! I can't keep saying 'sorry' because soon they'll have no meaning. They'll just be words." I held up my hands and took a step back. "I'm done."

"Yer done?" Yondu repeated, his brow wrinkling in confusion.

"I'm done telling a man 'I'm sorry' when he clearly won't accept my apology." I turned and stormed out the door leaving him to wallow in his own unforgiving misery.

 **(Well guys, there ya go. What did you think? Lydia's made it clear what her stance is but will Yondu learn to forgive and forget or will he keep holding on? Also, do any of you have some song suggestions for this fic? I'd love to hear from you guys! Until next time, Dear Readers!)**


	8. We Can't Keep Holding On To Grudges

**(Here we go again, folks! I'm back with more Lydia shenanigans! Just what will she get herself into this time?)**

 **[Song Suggestions for Ch. 8]**

 **~ 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go' by The Clash (opening song)**

 **~ 'Heartbreaker' by Pat Benatar (it's mentioned when to be played)**

 **~ 'Moonage Daydream' by David Bowie (play during the scene in Lydia's work station)**

 **~ 'You Give Love A Bad Name' by Bon Jovi (it's mentioned when to be played)**

 **~ 'Anyway You Want It' by Journey (play when Lydia's fixing the M-ship)**

 **~ 'The Longest Time' by Billy Joel (play at the section break that announces 'Four Days Later')**

 **~ 'A Little Less Conversation' by Elvis Presley (play when Lydia starts flying the M-ship)**

 **~ 'Grudges' by Paramore (this can be played whenever during Lydia's lessons)**

 **~ 'Invisible Touch' by Genesis (play this after the card game scene and the story returns to Lydia and Yondu)**

Chapter Eight

 _We Can't Keep Holding On To Grudges_

The Next Day

Yondu didn't waste any time to track down the fuel tanker. He was only an hour away from it's location and the crew were busily preparing to overrun it. He wasn't going to let those Joda maggots get away with all the units that fuel would bring in and he certainly wasn't going to let them forget just who they were dealing with. He was Yondu Udonta and nobody disrespected him like that!

"You _borga_!"

Except for a certain cute red-head.

Yondu rolled his eyes and turned to face an indignant Lydia. "I ain't changin' my answer, darlin'. Yer stayin' on the ship with Quill while the team raids the tanker." He was becoming familiar with certain expressions on Lydia's face. For instance, the way her brows drew in when she narrowed her eyes alerted him he was in for another argument. When she opened her mouth to do just that, he cut her off with a swipe of his arm. "I ain't hearin' it, darlin'! Do the job I hired ya for and watch that boy!"

"You can't keep ignoring me, Yondu!"

"That's exactly what I'm gonna do! At least I ain't gotta hear ya whine during the raid."

Something in her eyes changed. "I have other ways of getting you to hear me, captain."

Yondu felt himself tense, wary that she might try to use those feminine wiles. He wouldn't fall for that again. "And just how do you intend to do that?" he asked.

A sly grin curled her lips. "You'll see," she said and walked away.

Now Yondu was really suspicious. Just what did that conniving vixen have in mind? "Woman," he shouted at her retreating back, "I ain't got time to be fixing whatever trouble yer planning on makin'!"

She faced him, but walked backwards, that infuriating tease of a grin still there. "You're right. You better get moving, captain. No time to dally." She twirled around to walk front ways and disappeared around the corner.

If it wasn't for the fact that he was pressed for time, Yondu would have investigated whatever little scheme Lydia was concocting, but he had a raid to see to and Lydia's mysterious behavior was soon pushed to the back of his mind. It wasn't until he and forty other men were boarding their M-ships and he spotted Lydia and Peter lingering in the hangar that he remembered. She was leaning against a giant crate, arms folded and one leg bent so that her boot was planted against the crate behind her. Yondu narrowed his eyes with suspicion as he approached his ship. The sly smile never wavered as she met his gaze and waved 'bye' at him.

Inside the M-ship, Yondu eyed the interior, trying to determine if any sabotage was done to it. Nothing appeared out of order. He settled himself behind the controls and fired up the engines. Within seconds, music blasted from the M-ship's sound system.

" _You're a heartbreaker,_

 _Dream maker, a love taker,_

 _Don't you mess around with me!_

 _You're a heartbreaker,_

 _Dream maker, a love taker,_

 _Don't you mess around, no, no!"_

Yondu's ears were ringing from the volume but he could see Lydia through the cockpit's glass. She was grinning like she'd won first prize at a contest. By her side, Peter was doubled over laughing and pointing towards Yondu's ship. He could see several crewmen staring in his direction, faces etched in confusion. Yondu quickly flipped the switch to kill the music but nothing happened. He tried again with the same result. He tried the volume controls and felt a rush of relief when he was able to lower the sound to something partially bearable. He saw Peter was still laughing. Well, he'd soon fix that.

* * *

"That was great, Lydia!" Peter snorted while holding his belly from laughing so hard.

I pretended to polish my nails against my leather jacket. "Yeees, I do believe it was rather grand," I said in an overly posh accent.

"Quill!" Yondu's voice barked from the M-ship's outer speakers. Peter jumped in surprise. "If you don't quit that laughin', I'll blast you!"

Peter's giggles instantly ceased.

"Woman, what did you do to my ship now!"

I rolled my eyes. _Ever the drama queen._ "Relax, all I did was disconnect the off-switch to the music player," I hollered so he could hear me.

"Well, get in here and fix it! I ain't got time for this!"

I looked at my time keeper. "You sure don't. Not enough time for me to reconnect the switch, that's for sure. Looks like you'll have to deal with it." I gave him a bright smile and watched from a distance as his face took on a shade of lavender. I heard Peter start to snicker and bumped him with my hip as a way of telling him to hold it in.

"We're gonna have a talk when I get back, princess!"

"I'm sure we will," I mumbled and turned to leave. I flicked Peter's ear. "C'mon, kid. Let's go before he decides to save himself the trouble and blast us."

Peter paused in the middle of rubbing his ear and both eyes went wide. "You think he'd actually do that?"

I glanced over my shoulder at the M-ships as they began to exit the hangar. Would this raid be dangerous? Would all of the men make it back to the ship? I fought the unease in my gut and met Peter's question with a playful smile. "He's a Ravager. I wouldn't put it past him."

* * *

Inside my work station, Peter asked if we could listen to his tape while we worked. Let me rephrase that; while _I_ worked and he poked around my workshop.

"Don't touch that," I said without looking away from soldering a circuit board.

"I'm not!" was Peter's insistent reply.

"Mmmh-hmm," I hummed with disbelief. A few seconds of purposeful silence followed; the kind of silence that comes when someone doesn't want to be heard. "Don't touch that either."

"How did you know?"

"I have eyes in the back of my head," I said, still not looking at Peter and remaining focused on my work.

"…Do you really?"

I let out a snort of laughter and set aside the soldering iron. "No! I'm just pulling your leg, kid!" I lifted the safety goggles from my eyes and faced him. He was standing next to a giant, vase-like container that held rods of various metals of all sizes. It was on my list of things to organize. His hand was frozen in mid-reach.

Peter's expression became defensive and he quickly retracted his hand. "Well, how am I supposed to know? You're an alien! You could have two belly buttons for all I know!"

I cocked my head to the side. "What's a belly button?"

Peter's green eyes went wide.

Another round of snorting laughter escaped me. "I'm joking, Peter!"

Peter frowned and folded his arms. "Is there anything alien about you?"

I quirked my brows at him in amusement and shucked off my gloves. "Kid, from my point of view _you're_ the alien, so you're gonna have to be a bit more specific."

"Is there anything about you that's different from a human?"

"You mean like multiple eyes?" I teased. Peter didn't deign to respond to that. I chuckled and slouched into a beaten up leather chair I'd managed to snag before it was delivered to the ship's garbage containment. The material was torn, it smelled musty, and one of the legs was uneven but _glom_ was it comfortable.

"Well, from the research I did on human biology I couldn't find too many physical differences between Terrans and Threxians. Our ageing process isn't the same, though. Threxians age slower."

"How much slower?" Peter asked.

I thought a moment then reached for the new info disk Halvi had given me. I think he got me one so I'd stop asking to borrow his. Not my fault if Yondu kept putting off assigning one to me. I pulled up a picture of my mom on the screen and showed Peter. "How old would you say she is?"

Peter scrutinized the image for a couple of minutes, his eyes flicking from it to me. "How old are you?" he asked, curiously.

"Eighteen."

"I'd say she's a little older than you. Twenty-five-ish?"

"This is a picture of my mom, and she's seventy-four years old."

Peter blinked in surprise. "Wow." He eyed me suspiciously. "Are you _really_ eighteen?"

I laughed. "Yeah, I'm eighteen," I assured him. "If I was pure Threxian I'd probably look like I was closer to your age."

"Whoa. How long can Threxians live?"

"I think there was a Threxian who lived to be three hundred and ten, but usually the average lifespan is around two hundred and eighty for males and two hundred and ninety for females."

Peter's brow furrowed anxiously as he looked at me. "And what about you? You're only half."

"Don't worry, Peter. I'm gonna be around to tease you for a very, very long time." I winked at him and he smiled.

Peter hopped up onto my work table and let his legs dangle over the ledge. He started to swing them back and forth. "What's Threxia like?" he asked.

A nostalgic smile crept onto my face. "If it hasn't changed too much in all the years I've been away, it's gorgeous. Where I used to live, the backyard opened out to a forest. When I was younger Mom used to always worry about letting me play outside by myself because I liked to wonder towards the woods."

"Why?"

"When the sun went down, the leaves would glow and the moon blossoms would unfurl to release shimmering pollen. It was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen."

Peter rolled his eyes. "Sounds girly."

"And then the miniature volcano in the garden would erupt exactly at midnight and we'd have to sleep in the under ground caverns until the lava flow stopped around two o'clock."

Peter's face broke into a wide grin. "Cool!" he exclaimed.

"That was another joke, kid. I swear, boys and violent stuff," I chided.

"Because it's cool!" Peter argued.

My thoughts turned to my father's murder and I suppressed a shudder. "Not all the time," I murmured beneath my breath.

"Any other places you liked on your planet?" Peter asked, unaware of the change in my demeanor.

I shook off the memory and racked my brain (only have one and it's normal sized in case you were wondering) for anything I could remember. Something that would be considered 'cool' to Peter.

"There was a garden –,"

"Laaame," Peter yawned.

"Let me finish," I said, a bit miffed. "This garden was special. It was built to commemorate famous legends and tales of Threxia."

Peter's face screwed up in confusion. "What does 'commemorate' mean?"

"It means to show respect for something or someone." Already, I was typing in 'The Garden of Tales' into my info disc and selected the images that showed up. "There were statues scattered all throughout the garden which were designed to recreate scenes from the stories." I turned the screen to him and let him see the life-like statues frozen in mid-motion.

He slipped off the table and came closer to look. "Wow," he whispered. He peered closely at something and pointed. "Who's that?" he asked.

I peaked around to see which one. It was a statue of a giant man, standing nearly thirty feet tall. In the palm of his hand was a beautiful woman smiling up at him. "Oh, that's Makimaz the Giant and Eleanor," I answered.

"What's their story?"

I glanced at my work table. I was done with the majority of my tasks. Everything else could keep til tomorrow. Turning my gaze back to Peter, I began to tell him the tale of a cruel giant named Makimaz and how a girl named Eleanor had won his heart.

* * *

Heading back to the _Eclector_ ,Yondu sat hunched in his seat, hands gripping the controls so tightly his knuckles were aching, and teeth barred in a snarl. He and his crew had nabbed the fuel tanker with barely a hitch; although those Jodas had shown up about an hour after they'd arrived and tried to make trouble, but they quickly learned their lesson about going up against Ravagers and now the floating debris of their ships were all that was left of them.

Despite the success, Yondu was having a hard time enjoying it. Why? Lydia's damn music!

" _Shot through the heart_

 _And you're to blame_

 _Darlin', You give love a bad name!"_

It was like she'd chosen her loudest music! Although, come to think of it, he wouldn't have put it past her. Every time he turned on his comms to communicate with the crew, he usually ended up having to repeat himself to be heard over the music. He'd turned it down as low as he possibly could because he'd later discovered that Lydia had also sabotaged the volume controls so that the music would always be heard.

" _Oh, you're a loaded gun, yeah_

 _Oh, there's nowhere to run_

 _No one can save me_

 _The damage is done!"_

It was going to take every last reserve of his self-control not to wring that girl's neck when he saw her. An image of his hands wrapping around her neck came into his head and at first it started out with him giving her a good shake but quickly turned into a replay of when he'd kissed the column of her freckled throat and traced her pulse point with his tongue. Yondu swore up a storm when not even his imaginings played out to his liking. There was no getting around it. That girl was under his skin whether he liked it or not.

"Where's Brosh?" he barked as he exit his M-ship in the _Eclector's_ hangar.

"In her workshop I'd imagine," was Vorker's response as Yondu passed him, his mechanical eye whirring as it adjusted it's focus on his captain.

Yondu stomped off in that direction, fuming and muttering all kinds of threats as he went. The crew kept their distance when they saw him, pressing close to walls or taking a detour to avoid him altogether. As he entered the hall that Lydia's work station was located on, he noticed the entrance was open. Walking closer, he could just make out the lower half of Quill's body lying belly down on the floor. The boy's left foot was idly bouncing the toe of his shoe against the floor. Lydia's voice could be heard talking but he couldn't quite make out what she was saying yet.

"And then what happened?" Peter asked her.

Yondu slowed to a stop and slid out of sight to the side of the entrance. He listened.

"Then Makimaz crushed the evil tyrant who'd fed him nothing but lies and kept him in captivity for some many years!" Lydia declared dramatically. Peter cheered and quickly quieted down to hear what she said next. "Makimaz hurried to stop the evil tyrant's scheme to destroy Eleanor's village from the rock slide and enchanted fire. Makimaz went to the river and used his giant hands to scoop as much water into his palms and carried it to drown the fire."

Yondu leaned his back on the wall and strained his ears to catch Lydia's words. He hadn't heard this story before. But then again, he'd never been given much chance to be told any stories as a kid….

"Just as the mountain began to crack and give way, he put his shoulder to it and forced the mountain to crumble in the opposite direction. The village was saved!"

Yondu dared to shift a bit closer in order to get a glimpse of Lydia. She was beaming, green eyes shining, as she told Peter the story. The boy was captivated, lying on his stomach, elbows holding up his upper body, mouth partially open in awe. "And then what?" he asked.

"Then the giant got on his knees and begged the people's forgiveness for all the terror he'd caused them, explaining how the tyrant had enslaved him by enchantment to do his bidding. The villagers forgave him and there was a great celebration of the likes none have seen since. Makimaz the Giant and Eleanor were married that night and lived for many, many years in happiness."

"Oh I have no doubt the little lady was happy being married to such a big man," Yondu said with a leering grin as he stepped through the door. Peter let out a yelp of surprise and Lydia jumped.

"And just what is that supposed to mean," Lydia asked with an edge in her voice, annoyed at having been caught off guard.

Yondu leaned on the work table, hands gripping the edge, and flashed her a suggestive look. When she continued to give him a blank stare, he knit his brows together and wondered if the innuendo had been too subtle. Which he very much doubted, but how could she not get it? Well to hell with subtleness then.

Heaving a sigh, he spoke as if he were addressing a child. "Because he's got a giant-sized P – E – N –,"

Lydia's cheeks turned scarlet and she hastily waved about her hands to cut him off. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Okay, I get it now!"

"Why would Makimaz having a giant pen make Eleanor happy?" Peter asked innocently.

Lydia pressed her lips tightly together as she met the boy's gaze and Yondu could practically see the wheels spinning furiously in her head to come up with something. "Because… because then he could write her lots of love letters!" she answered quickly. Yondu guffawed and slapped his leg several times which earned a glare from her. "Was there something you needed, Captain Udonta?" she asked stiffly.

Yondu's chuckles subsided and he could hear music playing in the room. It reminded him what he'd come for in the first place. "You've got an M-ship to fix, Brosh."

"Aaaw, you mean you didn't like the music?" she taunted with a smirk.

A twitch occurred in the muscle of his jaw as he held back a slew of choice words. "Fix it. _Now_."

"Alright, alright," she sighed, hauling herself out of the battered chair that Yondu was fairly certain had been consigned to the garbage heap. Lydia grabbed her tool belt and buckled it around her hips. She gave Peter a stern look. "Out," she said, pointing to the door.

"Aaw, come on, Lydia," Peter whined.

She shook her head. "Nope. There is no way I'm leaving your nosey, curious self in here alone. That's just asking for trouble."

Peter's lower lip stuck out in a pout that even Yondu was sure would make Lydia's resolve waver but to his surprise she didn't appear the slightest bit affected. She lifted one eyebrow at the boy and pointed at the door again. Peter looked to Yondu as if to plead his case. "I think she gave you an order, boy," he answered sternly. Peter 'tsked' in disappointment and grabbed his Walkman from where it sat on top of a drum barrel. He trudged towards the exit and Lydia and Yondu followed behind. Once the entrance was closed, she punched in the security code to lock the door.

"So what am I supposed to do until you get back?" the boy asked.

"I'm sure you'll find something to do," Lydia assured him.

Yondu activated his comm-link. "Anybody got some chores young Quill could assist them with?"

Peter's face was horrified.

"Captain, this is Cor. I could use some help getting the dishes washed."

"I could use him to get the ventilation system cleaned," another crewman said.

"The floor on Deck Five could use some cleaning."

Yondu cut in as more and more men responded to Yondu's question. "Cor was the first to respond, boys. He gets Quill first."

"I'm not washing dishes," Peter said with defiance, glaring at Yondu.

Yondu placed both hands on his hips as he bent at the waist to look him in the eye. "This ain't no pleasure cruise, boy. Either you work or Cor serves us Terran stew tonight."

Peter's glare lost some of its bite and he fidgeted uncertainly. "Is there a short cut to the kitchen?" he finally asked.

Yondu smirked smugly as he straightened up and jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Take that hall and go down the stairs at the very end. Don't go all the way to the bottom. When it splits, take the left side and go in Hall B until you see another set of stairs. Go up that set about one floor and then take the middle passage and you'll have a straight shot there. Bit more complicated than the intended route but if'n you can remember the directions, it's the fastest."

Peter's face was scrunched up in bewilderment. "Huh?"

"I'm with the kid. Huh?" Lydia said with equal confusion. "Seriously, are there any signs on this ship?"

"Don't need no signs if ya know where yer goin'."

"Yeah. But how do you figure out where to go the first time?"

"Ain't the point."

"Isn't it though?"

"Get a move on, Quill, Cor's waiting. Brosh, you got an M-ship ta fix."

Peter sighed and put on his headphones as he walked away and Lydia hurried to keep up with the brisk pace Yondu set as they made their way to the hangar.

* * *

" _Anyway you want it/ That's the way you need it!"_

Lydia's foot tapped in time to the music as the upper part of her body remained hidden beneath the M-ship's dashboard. Yondu's crimson eyes kept straying from the controls to the way Lydia's tank top had ridden up and showed a bit of her midriff. No matter how much he argued with her about her choice of clothes she still wore what she pleased. Thank the stars, she'd chosen to wear cargo pants today.

"Okay, try that," her muffled voice called.

Yondu reached over and flipped the switch. The music kept playing. "Nope," he told her.

" _Glom_ it," Lydia muttered and went to tinkering some more.

"Woman, if you've done any permanent damage to my ship then it's gonna come outta yer wages," Yondu growled.

"I know, I know," Lydia said testily. "I got that the first time you told me."

A tiny pop sounded and Lydia let out a girlish yelp. "What was that?" Yondu asked, already reaching to grab her by the ankle and pull her out.

"It's fine!" Lydia hurried to say. "It means I'm on the right track."

Yondu's fingers hovered over her foot a few seconds longer then slowly withdrew.

" _I was alone_

 _I never knew_

 _What good love could do_

 _Ooh, then we touched_

 _Then we sang_

 _About the loving things…"_

Yondu scowled at the speakers. "Can't you fix the volume controls real quick so I can turn it down? Don't know how much more of this I can take."

Lydia huffed as her foot quit keeping time with the beat. "Would it kill you to listen to music?" she asked.

"Nearly blew out my ear drums with that trash ya call music."

"And just what do you consider music, Yondu?"

He shrugged and then remembered she couldn't see him from under the dashboard. "Ain't had much to do with music before."

"Hm," Lydia sounded thoughtfully. "We'll have to do something about that."

"If it involves stunts like this again then ya better get yer funeral arrangements in order."

A small burst of laughter followed his remark. "Nah, nothing like this again. I promise."

A nasty retort about questioning the worth of her promise was on the tip of his tongue and Yondu clenched his mouth shut. Maybe there was something to Lydia's claim the other night? He was so quick to knock her down, to slap away her hand when she made an attempt to reach out and make amends. Could he really trust that she wouldn't deceive him again?

"Quill seemed to enjoy yer storytelling," he said.

"Most little boys enjoy being told stories, you just have to tell it right in order to keep their attention."

"Wha'dya mean ya gotta tell it right?"

"You can't be cold when you tell a story. You have to…feel it. The excitement, the emotions, the peril. You gotta present all of that with your voice or else no one will want to hear it and eventually the story dies."

Yondu grunted in response. That was dreamer talk. He grew up in a place where that kind of talk was beaten out of you.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you about Peter," Lydia began. She wiggled her body down and Yondu caught himself staring as her shirt rode up some more. She sat up and smoothed her shirt before looking him in the eye. "Has Peter ever asked to go back home?"

"Hell, yeah."

"When?"

"Well, the very moment I had him in my M-ship he was hollerin' to be let go."

"And after that?"

Yondu opened his mouth to answer and stalled. Other than those first few hours when he'd been snatched from the field, he couldn't recall hearing the boy asking to go home. Yondu's brow pinched together in puzzlement. "Nah… He ain't never brought it up. He ain't even asked if he could visit."

Lydia rested her elbows on her knees and sighed. "That's what I thought. He's constantly asking me about my planet and other places in the galaxy but he never shares with me anything to do with Terra. I mean, besides a few references that I suspect has something to do with Terra's pop culture, but nothing substantial."

Yondu scratched at his stubble in thought. "That is a bit peculiar."

"Has he ever said anything to you?"

Yondu eyed her sardonically. "In case it escaped yer attention, darlin', that boy ain't too keen on conversatin' with me."

Lydia shrugged. "Doesn't hurt to ask. I don't know whether I should be worried or not. It just seems weird that a boy who was kidnapped from his home world doesn't seem too eager to return."

Yondu nodded somberly, his thoughts turning to a similar situation he'd experienced long ago. "Maybe something bad happened to him on Terra and it's poisoned it for him?"

"You think his mom's death might have done it?"

Yondu dragged his thoughts away from the dark road it had started to travel and focused on what Lydia asked him. "Uh, yeah. Could be. Family betrayal can have that effect."

Lydia gave a start. "Yondu, Peter's mom didn't betray him, she died."

Yondu felt his stomach jolt. Family betrayal. It had slipped out. "She left him all the same, didn't she?"

Lydia frowned. "You make it sound as if she got ill on purpose."

Something about the defensive tone in her voice tipped Yondu off that his past wasn't the only thing he was treading too closely on. Lydia's momma had gotten ill too. He could see a fight brewing and he was too tired to have one. "That ain't what I'm sayin'. You and me," he said, gesturing between them, "We understand that, but to a young kid sometimes it ain't somethin' they can grasp."

Lydia's slowly nodded. "I think I see what you mean."

 _Good, cause I sure as hell ain't gonna go into more detail._

Yondu rolled his shoulder and tilted his head towards the dashboard. "Any chance yer close to finishin'?"

"I have one more step to do."

"Well, get to it."

"Sure thing." Lydia twisted around, knocked her elbow against the underside of the dashboard and suddenly the music cut off. She grinned and got to her feet. "All good now."

Yondu blinked.

"You're welcome," she said and sashayed her way out of the ship.

Yondu looked back at the dashboard and back at the door. _She didn't use any of those tools on her belt_ , he realized. Well, she'd used one; the screw driver. She'd opened a panel underneath but he never saw what she was doing. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was just fiddlin' around under there in order to make me think she'd done somethin' complicated to my ship," he said aloud.

Looking around to make sure no one was watching, Yondu slid himself underneath the dash to take a look. The panel was back in place. He went to hunt around the ship for a screw driver. If any repairs to Lydia's sabotage had been done there'd be evidence of it. Yondu deftly removed the panel and gave a low whistle. His Yaka arrow came to hover beneath the dash with him and cast a bright enough red glow for Yondu to see no signs of sabotage or repair work.

A slow grin worked its way onto his face and a low chuckle escaped him. "That little vixen."

So she'd tricked him again; and yet he didn't feel angry about it. If anything he felt a bit of admiration for the girl who kept managing to play a ruse on a Ravager captain. Her little tricks were comparatively harmless all things considered, more mischievous than detrimental to him and the crew. But she had the makings of being an exceptional Ravager if he gave her a chance.

… _If I gave her a chance…_

* * *

 _Four Days Later_

"Who the heck keeps doing this!"

I glowered at the bare spot on the wall in the middle of a T-shaped junction of passageways. I distinctly remembered placing a note that listed where these halls led to and now it was gone for the third time in the past four days. Hey, don't judge me. If the crew continued to refuse installing signs then I had to think of some way to avoid getting lost. But it appeared some numbskull thought it was funny to constantly take down my notes. If I ever figured out who it was they'd be sorry!

"What'chu glarin' at that wall for, darlin'? Did it insult ya or somethin'?"

I rolled my eyes and turned to face Yondu as he strolled towards me with his hands in his coat pockets and a smirk on his face. "I put a note on this wall," I explained, pointing.

Yondu's red eyes followed my finger. "Is it invisible?"

I met his teasing grin with a deadpan expression. "It's gone."

"Nah," he pretended to gasp.

"Hardy, har, har. You're hysterical." I turned to go.

"Hold up, Brosh, I gotta talk to ya."

"Can it wait? I'm going to miss breakfast again if I can't find my way there."

"I'll walk with ya."

"Can we walk and talk?" I asked and didn't wait for a response.

Yondu grumbled and quickly caught up only to reach out and hook a finger on the strap of my work overalls and tug me back. I threw him an annoyed glare. "The mess hall's in the other direction, darlin'," he informed.

A beat of silence passed as I looked past him, down the passage, and then met his stare. "I knew that. Just…testing you."

Yondu snorted and didn't unhook his finger from my strap until we were halfway down the correct passage.

"So what was it you wanted to tell me?"

"I been doin' some thinkin' about that fiasco piloting job you did and how it could be avoided from repeatin' itself in the future. Seems to me like you need some lessons."

I whirled around and my face broke into a smile. "Really!"

"If I don't want any more ships damaged, then yeah."

"Well, you could just ban me from ever piloting an M-ship," I suggested.

"And at some point the galaxy would think it funny to put me in a position where yer my only option to pilot a ship. I ain't lookin' to have that bite me in the ass."

A playful grin worked its way along the corner of my mouth. "And just who is going to teach me how to fly?"

Yondu tried to look as put out as possible as he sighed and said, "For the good of this crew I'll have to take on the responsibility."

A giggle escaped me and I couldn't help but lightly punch his arm. "Aw, come on, captain. It'll be fun."

"Oh yeah," he agreed sarcastically. He removed the other hand from his coat pocket and flitted his hands in mock excitement. "Big laughs."

I noticed something had gotten stuck to the hand that had just come from his pocket. It was a small, bright yellow square and it detached from his skin when he moved his hands about. I watched it float to the floor. My handwriting could clearly be seen on it. I looked up from the note to narrow my eyes at Yondu.

"You _scarrin' borga_!"

* * *

"Ya gonna keep givin' me the cold shoulder, darlin', or are ya gonna let me teach you how to fly?"

Having marched ahead of him the whole way to the hangar, I huffed and finally turned to meet his gaze. "Fine. But you're still a total _borga_ for taking down my signs."

"Ya don't need to be relyin' on those things anyway."

"I wouldn't have to if there were clearly marked indicators of which hall leads to what!"

"You ain't never gonna let that go, are ya?"

"Hmm, kinda sounds familiar, doesn't it?"

Yondu cut his eyes at me. Pointing at a ship at the very end near the doors, he said, "We'll have you practice with that one."

"What? We're not using yours?"

"The hell if I ever let you fly my ship again! Are you out of your –!" His shouting stopped when he looked and saw I was suppressing a fit of laughter. He grunted. "Already pushin' my buttons and we ain't even in the M-ship yet." He headed for the space craft and I followed. This was going to be great; I just knew it.

Boarding the ship, I plopped into the pilot's chair and he settled himself into the co-pilot's seat. He began to explain what the various buttons, switches, levers, gears, and so on were for. After about an hour, I felt like my head was about to explode; there was so much to remember! Most of the parts I could identify from my time working in Malek's garage, but I never actually had to operate a machine that used all of the parts at once.

"Woman, yer lookin' so pale those freckles are standing out even more than usual," Yondu remarked.

"It's a lot to take in," I answered truthfully.

"I was learnin' when I was about Quill's age, you'll get it."

My brows knitted together. "Why were you learning to fly at such a young age?"

Yondu's jaw twitched. "I had to."

"Was it a cultural thing? Not to sound rude, but what race are you?"

"…Centaurian."

I gaped in surprise. What the heckwas a Centaurian doing so far from his home planet? It wasn't common for a Centaurian to venture from Centauri IV and to my knowledge their race was rather…well, primitive. They had a tribal hierarchy and used archaic weapons, like bows and arrows. Not too much was known about them since they were a rather private race, not given to exploring the galaxy. One of the ways you could tell a Centuarian, besides the blue skin, was the giant red fin that crowned the top of their heads.

My eyes were drawn to the lack of a fin on Yondu's head and noted the scarred flash that surrounded his metal implant. He'd fashioned it to bear a resemblance to a Centaurian's fin, but what had happened to his? My thoughts went to the vicious scars that covered the left side of his face which were hidden from me at the moment.

 _What happened to you, Yondu Udonta?_

The whole time I studied him, Yondu held himself very stiffly and kept quiet. He obviously didn't want to discuss his background any further. He cleared his throat and gestured at the controls. "Ya ready to get started?"

I nodded somberly. Even though I was burning with curiosity, it wasn't my place to ask. I listened closely to his instructions as he guided me through the motions of getting the ship out of the hangar and into open space.

"Well, so far we ain't dead," he commented wryly.

"Yet," I joked.

"Eyes forward."

My brow wrinkled with skepticism. "What is there to watch? It's space."

"Oh nothin' much, princess. Just asteroids, meteors, other small space crafts, stars going supernova, black holes –,"

"Alright, alright!" I snapped. "You made your point."

"Hmph," Yondu grunted smugly, leaning back in his chair. I was tempted to locate his seat adjuster and give it a pull so he'd fly back, but squelched that real quick. I was stuck inside an M-ship with him; there weren't very many places I could hide.

Yondu started me off with simple things, like adjusting my speed, steering, and how to make a quick stop. The lessons gradually became a bit more complex but he eased me into them. Sometimes he'd snap at me if I didn't carry out a task efficiently, but I'd long since accepted that he was no saint, so no skin off my back. After two hours, Yondu decided we should take a break and told me Cor and Peter had packed some lunches for us.

"Great! I'm starved!" I went to stand but Yondu's sudden bark of warning reminded me to put the ship on autopilot. He pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered something under his breath. "Hey, go easy on me, Yondu, it's my first time," I reminded him.

"Where've I heard that before?" he grumbled and got up from his chair to follow me towards the back of the ship.

Once inside the small kitchen, quenching the hunger in my stomach quickly became my first priority. "Where's the grub?" I asked. Yondu jutted his square chin at a low drawer and I opened it. It was cool inside and nestled at the bottom were two medium bags. I dug them out, tossed one to Yondu, and then promptly plopped into the booth seat behind the small kitchen table.

As we were finishing off our lunch, Yondu looked me over and seemed to come to a decision. "I think we can move on to flying among terrain."

I masked a nervous gulp by swallowing my food "Is there anything nearby?"

"Peyt is just one space jump away."

I thought about it. I wasn't too confident in my flying skills, but who knew when I'd get another chance to practice? I doubted Yondu would often be in such a tolerant mood for teaching me. I tossed my empty food container into the sink and nodded at him. "Yeah, let's do it."

Yondu alerted Kraglin about our destination and gave him the coordinates of where on the planet we'd be. Yondu took over piloting the M-ship for the space jump. I made no argument because I agreed; I wasn't quite ready for that lesson yet. The brief presence of pressure pushed me back in my seat and within seconds the view changed from endless stars to the sight of a lavender and blue colored planet.

"Wow… It's beautiful."

Yondu gave it a critical glance and shrugged. "It's alright, I guess."

Seriously, what is it with males and their ignorance to the beauty of their surroundings? I mean, seriously! Do I need to invent a sensitivity stick and whack them over the head with it?

* * *

Peter waited for Halvi to give the signal that it was alright to leave his seat after the space jump. At a nod from him, Peter hopped up and hurried to the bridge's expansive window to look at the new planet.

"It's called Peyt. Ain't very much intelligent life on it, mostly critters an' forest," Kraglin's voice said from behind him.

Peter glanced over his shoulder to see Kraglin walking his way. "You've been here before?"

"A few times. Sometimes Ravagers use it as a hideout from the Nova Corps or a meeting place with other Ravagers."

"So there's no city down there?"

"Nope. Why do you ask?"

"Just in case we needed to warn people to stay indoors while Lydia's practicing."

Kraglin threw back his head and laughed. Peter gazed out the window and spotted Lydia and Yondu's M-ship as it rapidly became smaller the closer it got to the planet. He heaved a sigh and Kraglin heard the note of discontent in it. "What's up, Pete?" he asked.

"I wish they took me with them. I want to learn how to fly too."

"Naah, Pete, you're a bit too young to be learnin' for now. Besides, do you really wanna be in a ship with Lydia while she's learnin'?"

Peter scrunched up his nose at the memory. "Good point."

"They've entered the planet's atmosphere," Halvi announced.

"Alright, boys, back to your stations and carry on until ya hear otherwise from me," Kraglin ordered.

Peter returned his gaze to the window and couldn't help but still be a little wistful. Even if Lydia wasn't the best pilot, Yondu definitely was and wouldn't let anything bad happen so Peter imagined he might have enjoyed himself on the M-ship with them. Learning to fly, having the option to go where you wanted instead of being stuck on the _Eclector_. Man, Lydia was probably having the time of her life.

* * *

I was probably having the worst time of my life! Entering the planet's atmosphere had been scary, but suddenly discovering that the trees were not only enormously high but also equipped with wide spanning branches made me panic so much that I nearly crashed us into one. I veered too hard to avoid one tree and ended up scrapping the side of the ship against another. It was like everything I'd learned took a swan dive out the window of my brain.

Yondu had no qualms letting me know his thoughts. During my time on Knowhere, I thought I'd heard all there was to hear when it came to swearing, but Yondu introduced me to some new and rather creative swears. I won't mention them because, honestly, some of the things he said… _Yikes_.

"Are ya tryin' to kill us! I outta ring yer scrawny neck!" he shouted at me as I once again narrowly missed hitting a tree.

"I seem to recall you couldn't stop kissing this neck!" I snapped back. "Your mouth hardly ever left it!"

"Ain't true!"

" _Goolow sprek_! It's true and you know it!"

"Watch where you're steering!" Yondu suddenly leaned over and jerked the controls to the right and we went into a spiral. My calm vacated the premises. I was incapable of forming a coherent sentence as I began screaming one thing then broke off and started another terror filled screech. Yondu quickly typed in the code to transfer access to the M-ship's controls to the co-pilot's console and bared his teeth as he struggled to pull out of the spiral. When the ship finally evened out and my dizziness passed, I became aware of the crimson death glare aimed in my direction and cringed deep into my seat.

"Okay, so I might has lost my cool there," I began but Yondu cut me off with some long-winded and very loud criticisms.

* * *

This girl was going to be the death of him! He wasn't going to die in the midst of battle or during a raid – oh, no – he was going to die from being stuck inside of an M-ship with a trainee at the controls! Just how much glory and honor would that kind of death merit among the other Ravager clans? Oh, suuure, they'd give him a funeral fit for his reputation and rank as captain, but there'd still be snickers. Well, Yondu Udonta wasn't about to get killed in such a humiliating manner and have it laughed at!

He'd been shouting at Lydia for nearly five minutes when he noticed her posture curling into herself. He paused for some air and took note of her downcast eyes, the set of her shoulders, her dejected silence.

 _She's not you…_

The thought came at him like a fist to the gut.

 _By the time I was her age, I knew how to shoot, fight, pilot any number of space crafts and different methods to kill…She's just a girl. She ain't been raised like me so why do I expect her to know everything I did at her age?_

Yondu sat back, hand over his mouth as he stared out the window and thought about what to do next. He'd meant for this to be an opportunity to mend things without him having to straight out apologize but things were going wrong so quickly.

"It's not my fault, you know."

Yondu felt something inside him tense up at the faint quiver in her voice.

She took a shaky breath and started again. "It's not my fault that I don't know all this stuff like you did."

Yondu didn't turn to face her but his eyebrows lifted in quiet surprise at how closely she'd voiced his thought process.

"Apparently it doesn't matter to you that I'm trying my best so, how about we call it a day and get back to the ship before you yell yourself hoarse at me."

He tilted his head to get a peek at her. She wasn't looking at him. Her attention was focused on the blue pendant her fingers were fiddling with. Her lower lip trembled and she quickly bit down on it to make it stop. That tense feeling inside turned into a painful twist. _Ah, hell…_

Heaving a sigh, he ran his hand over his face and faced her. "Ya ain't getting' out of learnin' to fly that easily, princess," he said, forcing himself to sound as gruff as he had when he'd been shouting at her. Lydia's eyes cautiously rose from the necklace to him. "C'mon, stop moping and let's get back on it."

Lydia shook her head. "I think I'm good."

Yondu gritted his teeth. _Ya done it now, Udonta._ "You disobeyin' orders, Brosh?"

Her eyes met his and he held them for a few seconds. Finally, she gave a sigh and stopped playing with the pendant and resumed control of the ship with none of the enthusiasm she'd had at the beginning. He had to fix that.

Looking around at the new terrain below them, Yondu spotted a wide valley with a river flowing through it. "Hey, steer us down there," he told her, pointing. Lydia complied and managed it very well. "Alright, not too bad. Now, you see those rock formations sprinkled along the river?"

Lydia scanned the waters and nodded.

"I want you to get us real close to the river, say seven feet or so –,"

"But that would put us at risk of running into those taller rock formations."

Yondu smirked. "Exactly, darlin'. You're gonna work on avoiding those rocks but keeping our course close to the river."

Lydia nervously eyed the upcoming rocks and bit her lip.

"Ya got it, sugar?"

She swallowed and nodded. "Okay."

* * *

Yarov narrowed his black-lined eyes at the cards he held in his hand and then at his opponent. So far luck hadn't been on Yarov's side, but with this hand how could he possibly loose –?

"Do you have any greens?" Peter asked.

"Dang it!" Yarov spat and slapped down three cards adorned with green eels.

"He beat you again?" Kraglin asked.

Yarov pointed an accusing finger at the beaming boy sitting across from him. "Don't let the cute face fool you, sir. This kid's got an excellent poker face."

Kraglin's lips quirked up in amusement but gave a thoughtful hum. "That skill may come in handy."

"How much longer do you think Lydia and Yondu will be gone?" Peter asked as he gathered his well-worn deck of Go-Fish cards. It was one of the few possessions he'd had in his backpack when Yondu took him. Sometimes he and his grandpa would play it when they were at the hospital and waiting for his mom's appointments to be over.

Kraglin scratched the back of his neck and pulled a face. "Can't really say, Peter." The captain and Lydia had been on Peyt for nearly four hours now. "I guess I could call 'im and check their status."

"You sure you want to do that?" Yarov asked with a leer. "What if they're busy?"

Kraglin glared. "You mind yer own business an' keep the boy occupied like I done told ya, Yarov," he scolded. The Ravager nodded but that smirk remained on his face. Kraglin went to the captain's chair and hailed Yondu's M-ship. He could only hope that Yarov wouldn't be proven right.

* * *

She was back to smiling again. That spark in her eyes returned in full force and so had her sassy comebacks.

"Swing her back around, darlin'," Yondu instructed. Lydia maneuvered the M-ship with ease. "Ready to take things up another notch?" he asked. A determined glint reflected in Lydia's eyes. He chuckled and tilted his head at the trees. "Let's give those another try."

Lydia's confidence wavered for a moment but she piloted the ship forward and glared at the trees as if daring them to thwart her. Yondu grinned. He had to admit she looked kinda cute giving the trees a death glare. He was pretty sure that if a hatchet was put in her hands she'd have taken on the forest with a battle cry and started swinging.

"Alright, ease up on the speed for this first go 'round."

As Lydia steered the ship through the various branches and tree trunks, Yondu gave her tips on how to better control the ship's trajectory if she were to be flying at top speed through similar obstacles with someone on her tail.

"Ya gotta have quick reflexes, sugar. Ya don't wanna get caught or slow down enough to present yerself as a target but if ya loose your focus you're just as likely to crash and save yer enemies the trouble."

"Have you ever flown through something like this?"

" _Psssh._ I've flown through worse, actually. Ain't nuthin' like white-knucklin' yer way through a quantum asteroid field."

There was a tricky series of twisting branches up ahead and Yondu reached over and placed his hand over Lydia's to guide her through the motions needed to navigate her way through them. He felt her hand twitch at his touch. She side-glanced at him for a fraction of a second but quickly returned her gaze forward.

"Easy does it, darlin'," he murmured.

* * *

I took a deep breath and kept my focus ahead of me but it was proving to be extremely difficult with Yondu's hand over mine on the controls and the branches became more complicated to navigate. The trees had grown closer together in this clump of the forest and the branches snaked every which way in order to access sunlight. My shoulder muscles tensed with anxiety and Yondu sensed it. He removed his hand from mine in order to undo his seat belt and stood up.

"Hey," I yelped, "Aren't you supposed to remain seated?"

"Trust me, darlin', my balance could put many a man and woman to shame. Keep yer focus."

I tried to ignore his movements and center my attention on the trees. The next thing I knew, Yondu's arms were encircling me and both his hands were laid atop mine. I felt the slight pull of the controls and followed its direction. I could detect the flexing of the muscles in his blue hand as they adjusted their hold on mine and wordlessly indicated where to turn.

I was very keenly aware of his proximity and felt the cockpit becoming incredibly hot. I started to wonder why Yondu wasn't breaking a sweat wearing that long, red leather jacket when it occurred to me that maybe I was the only one feeling warm.

It seemed like those twisting, close-knit branches would never end and that I'd be doomed to sweat to the point of Yondu's noticing, but eventually the forest became more open and Yondu returned to his seat.

"Sooo," I began and was mortified to hear my voice come out like a squeak. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Any other moves you'd like for me to try out?"

Yondu gave me a playfully chiding look that I didn't understand. "What?" I asked.

"What do you mean what, darlin'? You're the one askin' the risqué questions," he chuckled.

My brow wrinkled in confusion. "What are you talking abou…." It dawned on me. _Glom_ , I could be so oblivious to innuendo sometimes. How was I supposed to come off as a worldly, wise-to-your-act-so-don't-even-try-it girl if sexual insinuations kept going over my head? The books I'd read concerning sex had been very straight-forward and for educational purposes; none of the sly and suggestive overtones that were often used in public. Geez, how often had I nearly blown my cover on Knowhere by not being savvy to the lingo? And how quickly would the men on the _Eclector_ catch on if I didn't brush up on it?

Schooling my features to look unimpressed, I gave Yondu a scoff. "Honestly? You're calling _that_ risqué? _Please_ , Yondu, how about you make something out to be risqué that's actually worthwhile."

From the corner of my eye, I caught him lean back in his seat and fold his arms over his chest. "Yeah? _Hmph_." His voice lowered to an even raspier quality as he fixed those red eyes on me and grinned. "Like what, sugar?"

Well, _sprek_. I'd dug myself into that grave, hadn't I? "Uh….um…"

"Cap'n?" Kraglin's voice came in over the speakers.

Glory be! I was saved!

Yondu opened up the communications. "What is it, Kraglin?"

"You, uh, you ain't busy, are you?" Kraglin asked apprehensively.

Yondu's brows knit together in confusion but he answered, "Nah."

"Oh, good," Kraglin sighed with relief. "The crew and I were wonderin' if ya planned on teachin' Lydia fer much longer. I reckon the men 're gettin' antsy."

Yondu checked the time on the dashboard. "Yeah, I reckon so. Alright, Kraglin, we're headin' back. Be ready for us."

"Yes, sir."

Yondu faced me. "You had enough or do ya wanna fly us back yerself? I could help you when we have to leave the planet's atmosphere."

My thoughts instantly went to the feel of his hands on my skin and I felt myself turning pink. "Uh – no, no. You can take me now." I blanched at my words and hurried to correct myself. "I mean, you can take control of the ship now. That's what I meant! That is definitely what I meant! I'm really exhausted – I think I'm gonna go lie down – thanks for the lessons – wake me when we get to the ship – night!" I switched controls over to Yondu's consol and hurried out of the cockpit to the back of the ship. I flung myself into the small, cramped room and collapsed face-first into bed.

I moaned my mortification into the pillow. " _Druux_ my life."

 **(Well, Dear Readers, I hope that was an enjoyable read for you. I'd love to hear your feedback!**

 **A small announcement; I was recently offered the job as library director for my community and there's much work to be done but don't worry. I will always manage to find time to return to my fanfics and will endeavor to keep a consistent posting for you all. It does help speed the process up when I get some feedback though. What? No, I'm totally not trying to bribe you into leaving me reviews!** _ **Phft**_ **! That would be unethical…even if it is a bit true.**

 **I'm thankful for each and every one of you following, favoriting and reviewing my story! Thank you so much!**

 **Until next time, Dear Readers!)**


	9. I Want Your (Hands On Me)

**(Here it is! Another chapter for you, Dear Readers! I'm glad you've chosen to return instead of moving on to better stories. I hope I'll continue to keep your interest. In this chapter, things take another interesting turn in Lydia and Yondu's relationship. It's short compared to the others but it's still got a lot to offer.)**

 **[Songs used and suggested for Chapter 9]**

 **~ "Money, Money, Money" by ABBA (play at the beginning)**

 **~ "I Want Your (Hands on Me)" by Sinead O'Connor (play during the opening to the sparring room scene)**

 **~ "Angel" by Love/Hate (listen while Yondu and Lydia are training.)**

 **~ "A Whole Lotta Woman" by Sam Cooke (play towards the end)**

Chapter Nine

 _I Want Your (Hands on Me)_

Four Months Later

Terran Date: March 1989

I felt my mouth go dry as I gazed at the numbers on the screen. That was a whole lotta units; units I was quickly running out of. Mom's bills were adding up at an alarming rate, but she was still responding to the treatments. Every time we communicated I'd see a tiny trace of the old Mom coming back. If I cut back on those treatments, I could loose her all over again.

I let the info disc slip from my fingers and plop safely onto my mattress. Flopping onto my back, I stared up at the ceiling and tried to come up with a solution that didn't involve me asking Yondu for the gazillionth time to include me in more missions. He'd said 'no'. In fact, I'm pretty sure he resorted to telling me 'no' in every langue he knew just in case my translator was malfunctioning. It wasn't, in case you were wondering.

My music box was playing music via speaker atop my night stand. It was some band called ABBA and I found their music to be …meh. I was only half-way listening because I was too engrossed in coming up with a plan, but when I finally tuned back in I realized the song that was currently playing mirrored my thoughts a little too well.

" _Money, money, money,  
Always sunny  
In the rich man's world  
Aha aha!  
All the things I could do  
If I had a little money  
It's a rich man's world…"_

Halvi had put the idea into my head ever since he informed me about the different rates of pay among the crew. Being a part of the ground team that Yondu took with him off the ship had a desirable pay that would no doubt cover my mother's bills and leave just a bit to tide me and Peter over until another mission came by.

I had no other options for earning extra units. It's not like Yondu or the other Ravagers would just give me the money if I asked. I'd pester Yondu to death if I had to.

* * *

"Absolutely not!" Yondu bellowed at me from his captain's chair.

I cringed and glanced around at the crew. _Well, so much for trying to keep it hush – hush._

"Captain, please, let me accompany the ground team just once and if I screw it up past the point of no return then I'll never ask again."

Yondu gave me a sardonic look. "Honey, if you screw up past the point of no return, I doubt you'll be able to ask again; 'cause you'd be dead." He turned to Reagan and signaled for him to take over. Reagan wordlessly punched in the transfer codes and resumed control of the ship as Yondu stood from his chair and walked towards the exit. I wasn't going to let him get away so easily. I hurried after him into the hall.

"Yondu," I called urgently.

He glanced over his shoulder and groaned. Turning to face me, he placed his hands on his hips and stared me down. "What do I have to say to make you understand that it ain't gonna happen?"

I pretended to think about it. "Nothing comes to mind."

Yondu sighed. "I keep tellin' ya, girly. Do the job I hired ya to do. Take care of Quill and fix the broken crap around here. Ya can't take care of the boy if yer dead, which is exactly what you'd be if I put an untrained girl on my team."

"Then train me!" I said with exasperation.

"What!"

"Train me and I won't bother you about joining the team until you say I'm ready!"

Yondu leaned against the wall and began to pick at his teeth with a silver toothpick. "And what if I don't ever say you're ready?"

I folded my arms and fixed him with a glare. "Then I'll know you're just being a petty _tookum_ and I'll take matters into my own hands."

"Is that right?"

I gave him a firm nod. He looked at me with keen interest, studying my features. He grunted and looked at the silver pick. "Darlin', what's this really about? Not too many members of the crew are as anxious as you to be put on the ground team cause of how risky it can be. So what gives?"

A part of me argued that I owed him no explanation, but over the past few months, Yondu had been acting a tad more civil towards me. I shuffled my feet a bit, debating on what to tell him and settled for the truth.

"It's my mom's bills. They're just a little more expensive than I originally figured and my units are really being stretched thin between paying for her treatments and covering Peter and I. If I end up having to cut back on Mom's treatments, the doctors told me she'd be at risk of a relapse."

Yondu never looked up from the toothpick as he ran his index finger along its thin surface. "How much more expensive?" he asked.

"Seven thousand units more expensive," I reluctantly answered.

Yondu winced. "Yeah, sounds pricy," he acknowledged.

"All I'm asking, Yondu, is to be given a chance to earn more units. I'm not asking for you to give me the money for nothing, I want to prove I'm worth it."

That made him lift his gaze from his hands and fix upon me with a look I couldn't figure out. I met his stare and silently begged him with my eyes. _Please…I need this._

His jaw muscle twitched and he looked away. He scratched at his stubbled chin and grunted. "Meet me in the sparring room after the crew's sleepin' an' we'll see what we've got to work with."

I almost let out a squeal of happiness. _Almost_. But I'd rather have done that instead of what I actually did. Without thinking, I launched myself at him and wrapped my arms around his torso. "Thank you!" All of a sudden, I was all too aware of the solid muscle I felt beneath his shirt and leather jacket. _Glom_ , it was like hugging a rock!

I quickly released him, my face burning from embarrassment. "Um, see you then," I muttered and hurried away to my work station.

* * *

Yondu watched her go and reminded himself to stop clenching his fists so tight. Feelin' her against him like that… _damn._ He bit the inside of his cheek and stomped off to the mess hall for some much needed dinner and possibly a way to distract himself until it was time to meet with Lydia again. He carried out his duties and nodded goodnight to his crew on the way to his quarters. He'd told Lydia to wait until about two hours after the men bunked down for the night cycle. Setting an alarm to wake him, Yondu lay on his rather spacious bed and closed his eyes to catch a few winks of sleep.

All too soon, the alarm went off and he resisted the urge to fling out his arm and crush it.

When he arrived at the sparring room, he found Lydia already practicing with her spear and music was playing through the room's speakers. How the girl managed to figure out a way to hook up her Walkman to the room's sound system mystified him.

" _I want your hands on me  
What I want, give me  
You know I wanna please you  
What I wanna do to you  
You don't waste no time, do you?  
You know I'm looking through you  
Why you wanna tease me  
I want you to come and please me…"_

She hadn't noticed him come in and Yondu took the time to observe her techniques with the spear. He noted some things she could work on; blind spots she left open, a better way to keep her balance, the proper way to grip her spear and not risk having it snatched out of her hands, and so on. But all in all, she wasn't half bad.

Had she ever needed to use that spear against someone on Knowhere? _She made the spear for a reason, didn't she?_ The thought made his stomach clench.

There was a bit of gracefulness to her movements – synchronization to the flow of the music. She must have been down here practicing for a while before he arrived; her freckled skin had a slight sheen of sweat.

" _You know that I can thrill you  
I want you call me to you  
I wanna move, will you? I really wanna feel you  
Put'em on, put'em on, put'em on me  
Put'em on, put'em on, put'em on me…"_

Her choice of clothes seemed practical; a sleeveless top and closely fitted pants so as not to get caught on anything… _Very_ closely fitted pants.

" _Put your hands on me  
Put your hands on me…"_

His fingers twitched with the desire to do just that. He absent-mindedly ran the tip of his tongue along the edge of his upper teeth as he watched Lydia thrust her spear into the air as if piercing the body of an invisible assailant. She frowned and repeated the move. Giving an unsatisfied 'tsk', she did it again with more energy. Yondu looked at her feet. She was putting too much weight on her heels. She needed to be on her toes and bend her knees more.

He stopped himself from stepping forward and physically adjusting her stance. He pictured placing his hands on her legs – _Hell, no! None of that!_

Scowling at himself, he snatched his mind back and refocused on the reason he was there in the first place. He was there to gauge Lydia's skills…but that didn't mean he couldn't have any fun with her; especially since her ass looked so good in those pants.

A smirk worked its way onto his face and revealed those sharp, crooked teeth. A little bit of fun wouldn't hurt. Using stealth, Yondu snuck right up behind her and gave her butt a good slap. Lydia yelped and whirled around, spear lashing out, but Yondu jumped out of reach with a cackle.

She stared at him in startled disbelief for a moment but it was soon replaced with a frown. "That was a bit childish, don't you think?" Lydia asked, unaware of how much her lips were pouting while Yondu was made all too aware of the Cupid's bow shape of her mouth.

"Ain't nothin' childish 'bout that, woman. You would've gotten more than a love tap that night back on Knowhere if you hadn't had other plans."

Lydia's face flushed beat red.

* * *

 _Sprek! Sprek! Sprek! Sprek! Sprek!_

I could feel my body reacting to his words by flushing red and I turned away so he wouldn't see; only to almost immediately whirl back around and give him a warning glare with my spear at the ready if he tried to smack my butt again. He chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender.

Those hands had been on my mind a lot lately ever since that moment in the M-ship when he'd placed them over mine to guide my steering of the ship. I found myself a bit…fascinated by them. I started taking notice of the subtle changes in hue of the blue skin, the scratches and scars that littered them, the way he'd motion with them when he talked, and their strength.

"We don't need this crap playin' while I'm trainin' ya."

I snapped out of my rumination in time to see Yondu moving towards my music box and reaching out to turn it off. I side-stepped him and lightly struck his outstretched hand with the flat of my spear head. He leveled me with an annoyed glare and I lifted my eyebrows in warning. "No touching the music box," I said.

He grunted, rubbed at his hand and backed away. "Whatever," he snorted. I smiled in triumph. I followed him to the well-worn mats that covered a large corner of the floor and he began to remove his leather jacket.

"First thing's first, darlin', ya gotta work on yer sense of balance. You over compensate 'cuz of the spear's weight an' it's throwin' ya off."

I glanced at the spear in my hands and had to agree. I'd felt my stance was a bit off, I just couldn't pin-point what it was until Yondu pointed it out. I nodded and looked back up at him. "Right. Got it."

He maintained eye contact with me as he unclipped the harness attached to his arrow holster and began to remove a second jacket he wore underneath the first. It wasn't leather; it was made of a deep purple material I couldn't identify. My brow wrinkled a bit at the number of buttons, buckles and zippers the man had to undo. What was with that?

I returned my attention to Yondu's face and listened to what he was saying about grounding my center in order to avoid loosing my balance. My attention was short lived however when I realized he was taking off the shirt underneath his second jacket and suddenly Yondu was shirtless and …

 _Mmmh_. _Glom._ Ahem.

I tore my eyes from the sight of solid blue muscled abs and biceps and strained to keep them focused on Yondu's face because he was still talking to me about things I needed to improve on. I nodded and hummed in agreement but I have no idea what I was agreeing about because _glom_ it, Yondu was fit! My eyes slowly lowered from his face and took in the sight. I noticed something else about his bare torso. Horrible scars littered his skin.

On his right shoulder was a cluster of jagged scars that branched down his arm. On the left side of his chest was a long, smooth scar that looked as though a blade had grazed him. When he turned to toss his shirt onto the pile he'd made of his discarded clothes, I caught a glimpse of round-shaped scars that could have only come from the impact of a blaster gun. Several more scars were spread along the planes of his back.

He turned to face me again and after a moment I realized he'd grown quiet. I lifted my eyes to meet his. "Is there a problem, princess?" he asked, giving me a wicked, toothy grin and folded his arm over his chest in a way that flexed his biceps. I gulped. His grin turned absolutely feral. "Take yer shirt off."

"Say what now!" I squeaked.

"It's gonna get real hot in here and yer gonna sweat through that shirt. Ya got an undershirt on, right?"

Wrong. I was only wearing my undershirt. The Tailor was in need of repair and its mechanics required parts we didn't have on the _Eclector_ , so until Yondu had us make port and I could hunt for the needed partswould have to make do with the clothing I had. Unfortunately, it had been two and half months since the Tailor broke and I was in desperate need of new clothes. So, I was running low on tops and had to resort to wearing my camis as shirts.

I licked my lips nervously and answered him. "Um, yeah…ish."

Yondu tilted his head questioningly. "Ish?"

"This… _is_ my undershirt."

Yondu lifted an eyebrow at that but said nothing. He gave my shirt a once-over and shook his head. "Material's too thick; you'll sweat through it in minutes. Take it off."

"I'm not about to train in my bra, Yondu!"

A wolfish grin nearly split his face in two. "You ain't got nothin' I ain't seen before, sugar."

"Uh, I beg to differ, 'cause these are _mine_ ," I argued as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"I would have seen 'em if that night had progressed to my liking. But like I said you –,"

"I know, I know; I had other plans," I grumbled, irritably.

* * *

She was blushing up a storm and Yondu's face hurt from grinning so much. Her lips formed into a pout as she glared at him. He was fairly certain she wasn't aware her mouth did that. He found it adorable.

Leaning back on the equipment next to her music box, he gestured at the device and said, "Would it help if I put on some strip tunes?"

He hadn't thought it possible for her to turn redder but she managed. How was it this was the same vixen who'd wrapped her legs around his waist when he'd held her against the door of his quarters? Why was she being so coy now?

He tapped his wrist as if he wore a time keeper. "Time's a waistin', darlin'."

Lydia inhaled deeply through her nose, eyes closed, and exhaled from her mouth. She opened her eyes and narrowed them at him. "You're a _borga._ "

"Hell yeah, I am."

She turned her back to him and removed her shirt. Freckles were scattered across her back like a galaxy of stars. When she faced him, he let out a teasing wolf-whistle and she flinched. When nothing happened, she gave his pile of clothing a curious stare. At first he couldn't figure out her reaction, and then it clicked.

"Oh, don' chu worry 'bout my arrow. It don't light up every time I whistle."

"Then how does it know which is a command and what's …" she made a face and gestured at him. "You being you?"

He chuckled lightly at that and pushed off from the equipment to walk towards her. He roiled his shoulders and stretched his arms to work out any kinks before they could get started with her training. "It ain't programmed with a set of commands, darlin'. That arrow is attuned to me. I use my heart to guide it."

"How did you manage to do – ah!" She ducked in the nick of time to avoid Yondu's right hook, but the sudden movement threw off her balance and she stumbled to the ground. "What the heck, Yondu! I wasn't ready!"

He crouched to be eye-level with her. "Ain't nobody in this galaxy gonna give you a fair fight, princess. You gotta be alert for the slightest hint of trouble and act or else yer gonna get yourself killed."

Lydia huffed with reluctant agreement. "Right. Lesson learned." Her left leg suddenly swiped at his feet and he toppled over onto his back. Lydia sprang up with her spear in hand and whirled around to aim it at his throat. She gave a smug smirk. "How's that?" she asked.

Yondu's crooked teeth bared themselves in a grin. "Ain't too bad; just a bit obvious though."

Lydia's brow furrowed in confusion. "Obvious? I caught you off guard and you went down."

A raspy chuckle rose from his throat. "You think you got me beat, huh?"

Before Lydia could reply, both of Yondu's hands swiftly latched onto the space just above her weapon's spearhead and pulled it towards him. Lydia's face blanched in a brief moment of panic, thinking he was about to impale his own neck but at the last second he jerked his head to the side and the blade pierced the ground as he used the spears pole as an anchor to pull himself up. The wind was knocked put of Lydia's lungs when Yondu's shoulder connected with her stomach and sent her flying over his head and she landed heavily on her back.

* * *

A pitiful wheeze escaped me as I stared up at the ceiling and waited for those pesky spots to clear my vision. "I…want…to kill you," I gasped.

Yondu moved to stand over my head and bent over to give me an upside-down toothy grin while using the spear to support his weight. "You ain't doin' too well at suceedin', darlin'," he taunted.

I met his grin with a less than pleased glare and lifted an aching arm to point at him. "Diiiie," I whispered.

"Hmph," he grunted in amusement and took a step back as I attempted to stand.

"Could we start with something simple?" I asked, kneading at the sharp pain in my right shoulder.

"Only if you get rid of any notions you've had that yer a decent fighter."

I opened my mouth to argue and he held up a hand to stop me.

"You got some quick reflexes but they ain't consistent. You've got some skill with this here gadget of yours, and I can say from experience that you can pack a punch, but it ain't enough, sugar. We're gonna have to start you from scratch."

I gave a shrug. "Scratch is kinda where I'm at anyway."

Yondu's eyebrows knitted together at my words. "Where'd you learn how to fight?"

"I taught myself. Had to. Some guys just won't take 'no' for an answer," I told him with as much of a nonchalant air as I could. I wasn't going to go into detail about the times back on Knowhere when I'd been cornered and managed to get away by luck, or when I'd been mugged at the age of thirteen and came home with a busted lip, a dislocated arm, and a sprained ankle and had to take care of myself because Mom was too far gone to even realize I was hurt. I wasn't going to share how every fight I got into was how I learned another form of defense or attack because they'd been done to me. I was lucky to be alive after all those years on Knowhere, but that wasn't any of his business.

* * *

Yondu watched Lydia's face closely as she said, "I taught myself. Had to. Some guys just won't take 'no' for an answer." She made it sound like it was no big deal but he knew better. There was more to it than that. Way more.

He didn't expect the sudden anger that came over him as his mind supplied him with all the reasons why a girl in her situation would have to teach herself how to fight. Knowhere was a harsh, cruel place and didn't show mercy to decent folks. Most of the galaxy was like that but Knowhere was just about the worst. How did this little girl manage to keep some of that goodness after all these years?

A dull ache from his knuckles brought his attention to the tight grip he had on her spear. He relaxed his hand and released a sigh as he met her gaze. "Let's get started."

* * *

He hadn't meant to start her off this way. He'd fully intended on teaching her attack maneuvers but those two words changed everything. _"Had to."_ She'd _had to_ learn in order to survive. She'd _had to_ fight so she could get away. She'd _had to_ protect herself because no one else was gonna do it for her. No one on that forsaken space mine had her back, but on this ship, he was her captain and the captain was responsible for the lives of his crew. He'd also given her momma his word that he'd keep Lydia safe. That included keeping her safe from his own men.

For three hours he pushed her harder than he'd ever had with any other member of his crew if he thought them worth teaching a thing or two. He could see the exhaustion on her face but she didn't complain. Most of what he taught her consisted of escaping from someone's hold and she was a quick learner.

He managed to pin her to the ground on her back and straddled her hips, hands clamped down on her wrists on each side of her head. "I ain't gonna go easy on ya this time, sugar. Throw me off," he instructed her.

She writhed beneath him for several minutes and he'd be lying if he hadn't found it a bit arousing but he redirected his focus on the reason he was doing this. She tried to lift her legs and angle them so that her knees would strike his back but he remained just out of their reach.

After a few more minutes of letting her struggle, he asked, "You ready for me to show you how to escape me?"

He could see she wasn't ready to admit defeat by the way her eyes darted about, trying to find a way out and coming up with nothing. She huffed and finally nodded. He chuckled and released one of her hands in order to reach down and tap at her right thigh.

"Use yer pelvis to buck me off."

"Are you kidding me? You're too big for that to work!"

"Try it, sugar." He reapplied his grip on her wrist. "Okay, go for it."

He didn't ease up on his weight or loosen his hold on her wrists, so when she bucked her pelvis and succeeded in dislodging him from sitting on her stomach, it was all due to her efforts. The moment enough of his weight was off of her middle, she twisted her lower body and managed to draw in her legs and knee him in the groin. Pain made him curl in and instinctively reach down to protect himself from further injury and that's when she planted a foot against his chest and pushed with all her might. He landed on his back and listened to her scramble a safe distance from him.

He grunted in pain but a chuckle of approval followed. "Good work, sugar." He used his elbows to ease his upper body up and take a look at her. She was out of breath, hunched over with her hands on her knees, and sweat trickled from her brow. She was barely standing but Yondu wasn't done. This was the kind of state she had to push through; when it felt like she was going to collapse and had nothing left. That was when she needed to fight the hardest because no one was going to give her a chance to catch her breath.

"There's one more move I'm gonna teach you tonight and then we'll call it a night," he assured her as he stood to his feet. Lydia gave a tired nod. He didn't give her a chance to stand up straight. He charged at her and within seconds she was pinned to the wall. She thrashed around but his strength and size once again put her at a disadvantage. Her hands were trapped above her head and he'd parted her legs with his knee as he leaned in close to her face. "How do you get away from me now?" he asked in a low voice. He heard her breath hitch but chalked it up to her already breathless state.

She tried to kick out with her legs but met empty air.

"What's in reach right now, sugar?"

He felt her still beneath him.

"Do what it takes to get yerself free," he encouraged her.

After a moment's hesitation, Lydia's forehead butted painfully into the bridge of his nose. Using his strong hold on her wrists as an anchor, she lifted both her legs off the floor so that she was suspended from the ground and quickly planted both feet on his chest and pushed. It pried him away from her and as he stumbled back, she delivered a round house kick to his head. He went down like a bag of rocks and lay still.

"Yes!" Lydia cheered, a triumphant fist lifted to the air. "How did I do, Yondu?"

"….."

"Yondu?"

"….."

"Yondu? … Oh _sprek_!"

Lydia dropped to her knees beside him and pushed him onto his back. "Yondu, come on! There is no way someone as hard headed as you got knocked out by my skinny legs!" She shook his shoulder. "Wake up!"

A muscled blue arm suddenly sprang up and wrapped around her middle, dragging her down, followed by the other arm. She let out a squeak of surprise and Yondu let out a raspy chuckle. "Unless you shot them in the head, don't get close enough for them to grab ya, sugar." He held her flush against his chest as he caught both her wrists in one hand and pinned then to her sternum while one arm remained wrapped around her waist.

Lydia slumped in weary defeat and sighed. "Noted."

He cackled in amusement and craned his neck around to look at her face. "Ya did good, sugar."

* * *

In a moment of pure exhaustion, I allowed my body to lean on him and let my head dip back and rest on in the curve where his neck and shoulder joined. I was too tired to get up, my muscles ached all over, and he felt so _glom_ comfortable.

At any moment I expected him to push me off and grump about using him as a piece of furniture, but to my surprise, he didn't. He let me rest against him. I wasn't about to look a gift _hoona_ in the mouth. I felt the pad of his thumb lightly stroke the outline of the bone structure of my hand. I held my breath. Was I imagining it?

When I felt the silence beginning to stretch, I spoke up and asked him something that had been on my mind about two hours into my training. "Yondu, all these moves you've been teaching me tonight…" I swallowed nervously when I felt his chin drop onto my shoulder and he waited for me to continue. "They kinda seemed like they were geared towards a scenario of me being raped."

He withdrew his chin with a grunt and I felt him shifting behind me. He was moving to stand so I followed suite. He walked towards some towels on a rack at the wall and grabbed one. He began to mop at the sweat on his face and chest which I willed myself not to watch. After a moment of silence, he finally turned to face me with a stern expression.

"Lydia, you're a damn fine lookin' woman. A face and body like yours can make a man ignore his better judgment. My crew… they ain't the brightest to begin with and they ain't gentlemen either. They're Ravagers, sweetheart, and you bein' a part of the crew ain't gonna change that."

"But I thought that Ravager's looked after their own."

"What do you think this was all about tonight?"

I went quiet. He could have taught me any number of fighting techniques tonight, but instead he'd chosen to teach me how to escape.

He tossed the towel onto his shoulder. "We're done for the night. Get some rest." He gathered up his clothing and bundled it under his arm. "I'll train ya for two months and at the end, I'll determine if yer ready to join the ground team or not."

"Thank you."

"Thank me by not naggin' me to death about it for the next two months." He turned to go and was almost out the door when he called over his shoulder. "By the way, sugar; ya got some nice tits to go with that ass."

My face suddenly became unbearably hot as I blushed scarlet to the tip of my ears. Yondu spared a quick glance at me and I heard his booming laughter echo down the halls after him as he left.

 **(Hope this chapter keeps you going until the next installment. Loved it? Hated it? Did you get a giggle out of it? Let me know! Feel free to give me some pointers. I really would appreciate your feedback! I have so much more to share with you in this story and the only way I can make it better is if you Readers let me know your thoughts.**

 **Until Next time, Dear Readers!)**


	10. Watch Out, Love Bites

**(Hello, Dear Readers! I must apologize to those who were expecting an update for one of my other stories last month. My previous laptop was very old and had gotten to the point where it would freeze up on me after taking about half an hour to fully boot up. I needed a new one, so I held off writing until I could get it. Well, I've got a brand-spankin' new laptop (which I fondly call 'David Bowie 2.0') and I'm ready to get some writing done!**

 **When last we left off with Lydia, Yondu promised to train her for two months so she could join his ground team – which earns more pay – and now those two months are up. Let's see how she does, shall we?)**

 **(Side Note: Please forgive any confusion caused by my writing when it gets to the bank scene where Lydia is having to come up with a way to pull herself up by rope. I'm not very familiar with climbing gear and aerial silk acrobatics to properly describe the process she uses. I tried looking up the process online but there was soooo much information to sift through that I eventually had to give up if I wanted to get this chapter posted before the end of October. I hope it doesn't come across as too ignorant.)**

 **[Songs used, mentioned, and suggested for Chapter 10]**

 **~ "Only the Strong Survive" by Elvis Presley (the music Lydia is listening to at the start of the chapter)**

 **~ "Only You" by Yaz {also known as Yazoo}**

 **~ "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede**

 **~ "She's One of the Boys" by Nick Gilder (listen during the flight to A'askavariia)**

 **~ "Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)" by David Bowie (play this when Lydia is being lowered into the bank)**

 **~ "One Way Or Another" by Blondie (play when Peter's chasing the orloni)**

 **~ "Go All the Way" by the Raspberries (play when Lydia is climbing the rope back to the roof)**

 **~ "Love Bites" by Def Leppard**

 **~ "Women" by Def Leppard (play when Yondu announces they're going to Contraxia)**

 **Chapter Ten**

 _Watch Out, Love Bites…_

Two Months Later

Terran Date: May 9, 1989

I want it to be made clear that _not once_ in our "friendly negotiations" about the terms of me looking after Peter, did Yondu _ever_ indicate that I was to be responsible for the kid's moral compass. I'm just putting that out there for you. It _never_ came up; got it? Good. Then you'll understand why I found it funny when a scowling Yondu came marching into my work space, holding Peter by the collar of his jacket so high in the air that his small feet were dangling off the floor. Yondu's muscles strike again!

"Ain't 'chu supposed to be watchin' this kid?" Yondu growled.

Now _that_ I had agreed to. I remember it very distinctly. I also remember him telling me to finish patching up a faulty water locator device by the end of the day cycle.

"There you go again; telling me last minute that I'm supposed to split myself in two," I sighed in mock frustration. Yondu let out an unamused grunt and readjusted his grip on Peter when he started struggling. "What'd he do this time?" I asked, turning from my work and lowering the volume of my music box so I could hear them clearly.

"Caught him tryin' ta steal one of my trinkets," Yondu explained and withdrew the neon orange-haired troll from his jacket pocket. The one he'd bought at back on Knowhere.

"I was bored!" Peter whined, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting. "It's not like you play with it anyway."

I pretended to wipe some sweat from my upper lip to hide my smile.

The scowl on Yondu's face deepened. "You broke the Code, boy! Ravager's don't steal from each other."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Peter muttered.

Yondu gave me a look and held the kid out at arm's length towards me as if to say, "Deal with him."

I cleared my throat as I picked up a wrench and turned back to my work. "Look, kid, if you're gonna be a thief, you gotta learn how to not get caught."

Peter quirked a smug eyebrow. "Like you did?"

Yondu howled with laughter. As I listened to him hyuck it up behind me, I slowly turned my head just enough to eye Peter from over my shoulder. "Touché, kid. Touché."

Yondu set Peter down and wiped away some tears. "Boy, there may be some hope for you yet."

"Yeah?" Peter asked, eagerly.

"Suuure." Yondu's face went from mirthful to stern in less than a blink. "Just so long as I don't catch ya stealin' from me or the crew ever again. Cause if ya do, I'll let the crew eat 'cha. Got it?"

Peter's face paled and he quickly nodded.

"Now git on outta here!" Yondu barked and swatted at the kid's head.

Peter scurried out of the room and I waited until I could no longer hear the echoes of his footsteps before I stood from my crouched position. With a dry chuckle, I grabbed a dirty rag and rubbed some grease stains from my hands. "And just how long do you think you'll be able to get away with using that phony threat against him?" I asked.

Yondu craned his neck to look at me. "And just what makes you so sure it's phony?"

"Yondu," I scoffed, "I've done more stuff to warrant being eaten than that kid has and here I am, still standing." Folding my arms, I stood with my hips cocked to one side as I met his gaze with confidence. "Fess up, captain. You're all talk; no bite."

From the way he lifted an eyebrow at me and the sly curl of his lips, I knew I was in trouble. _Abort! Abort!_

Leisurely, he looked me up and down. "Is that right?" he asked slowly, his voice all rasp. Sharp teeth glinted in the light.

I gulped. "I could be wrong," I backtracked.

He snorted and leaned on the front of my work table. "I originally came down here to tell you you'll be joining me and the ground team for a bank heist on A'askavariia."

I went completely still, hardly daring to hope I'd heard him right. "Really?" I asked.

He nodded and occupied himself with scratching his fingernail at the flaking paint of the table. "You've shown a lot of improvement over the months and I'm gonna start ya off small for now."

How a bank heist could be considered 'small', I wasn't about to ask.

"If ya do good on this job, I'll consider continuing yer trainin'."

I held the dirty rag in my hands with a death grip. "Thank you," I said softly.

Yondu shrugged. "I ain't much on bein' a man of my word, darlin', but I don't back out of a promise I make to my crew."

"When do we start?"

"We'll be gathering in about four hours to discuss strategy in the tactical room. You remember how to get there?"

"Yes."

He gave me a long stare.

"…No," I admitted.

Yondu blew trapped air out through his nostrils and shook his head. "I'll send Halvi down to get ya when it's time."

He turned to go and I started forward, grasping the sleeve of his jacket. He went rigid and whipped his head around so quickly I was briefly concerned that his neck might snap. I instantly let go of his sleeve and took a step back, hands held up for him to see. His posture eased a bit and a hint of regret flashed in his eyes before he quickly covered it up.

I pushed aside my curiosity at his reaction and said, "I really appreciate this, Captain." His crimson eyes trailed from my hands to my face. He nodded once and left the room. I hurried to the door and watched him leave. He never looked back. It was like he couldn't get away fast enough. The question I'd been pondering more and more frequently reared its head once again. What the _druux_ had happened to him?

* * *

Later, Halvi and I entered the tactical room to find Yondu's ground team already huddled together around a table with a holographic blueprint of a building hovering over it. The front seemed to be one floor, but towards the back it rose to be over seventy stories tall. "What are those the blueprints to?" I asked.

"None of yer business," Horuz responded in a clipped tone.

"It's her business now," Yondu spoke up from the middle of the group. "She's joining us on this one." This was met with a few sputters of disbelief from the crew as Horuz began to object. Yondu narrowed his eyes. "You questionin' my decision, Horuz?" I would have been cowering if that particular glare had been aimed at me. Fortunately, Horuz knew not to continue arguing and clamped his mouth shut. Yondu stepped away from the group and sauntered towards me. "Those're the blueprints to the Bank of A'askavariia."

I promptly spluttered and barked, "Why?" As in, _why_ was a bank that tall? Back on my home planet, the banks usually had one floor – two at the most. But _this_ – _this_ was overkill!

"It's where all the rich folks keep their money," Yondu explained. "Anybody who's anybody on A'askavariia banks there, even some from off-planet."

"What makes this one so special?"

"Zero-gravity safes."

"…Come again?"

"Most banks keep their clients' money all in one vault on the floor, right? Well, this bank keeps their clients' money in individual safes that hover in the air. That's why the building's so tall."

I gawked at the blueprints for a moment. "Rich people…they can't do anything simple, can they?"

Yondu snorted a laugh. "Nah, sugar. The more money they got – the fancier they want to be."

I approached the table and now that I was closer, I could see the tiny squares that represented the floating safes. "Sooo…how do we pull this off?"

Yondu gave a nod to Kraglin and the younger man began to punch in some codes. Another holographic image joined the blueprints, a laser drill ship whose model looked awfully familiar.

"Is that a Tivan Group laser drill ship?" I asked, incredulous.

"Sure is," Kraglin answered with a grin. "Swiped it when we were on Knowhere."

"How did you manage to steal that from the Tivan Group?"

"We're Ravagers," Kraglin explained, his tone all but saying, "Duh!"

The Tivan Group were the ones who set up the mining on Knowhere and their leader was Taneleer Tivan. Most people knew him as The Collector due to him being the keeper of a questionable museum he built on Knowhere that contains the largest collection of interstellar fauna, relics and species in the galaxy. I never met him, but the stories I heard about him didn't exactly leave me with the impression that it was a regrettable missed opportunity.

Kraglin maneuvered the holo-ship towards the holo-bank. "We use the laser drill to fly over the bank and drill a hole in the roof big enough to fit a person and a safe through. The safes are about 28" x 21" x 23" and each have a unique vector code as well as a combination code."

"The combinations are easy to crack," Horuz said. "It's the vector codes that have me puzzled."

"What are vector codes?" I whispered to Halvi, hoping no one would overhear my ignorance.

"Vector codes are what keeps the safes in their assigned areas so they won't bump into another safe. They're considered to be very high-ranking security because of how detailed the code sequencing is programed. Practically unhackable."

"Ah. Got it."

"The vector codes won't be a problem," Yondu assured the team. "We got a cipher breaker sequence."

"Ooooh," a few crewmen voiced.

"Unless you have one of those," Halvi added. I opened my mouth to ask but he didn't wait for my question. "A cipher breaker sequence is something that is tailor made to crack a specific set of codes. If the captain says we have one, then he most likely has someone on the inside loop of the bank's security system programming team."

"Hmmm. Clever."

"What about the part of the roof that we drill out? It'll fall and set off the alarms," someone – I think it was Yarov – asked.

Kraglin held up a flat disc for all to see. "All we gotta do is attach this to the portion we drill off and it'll hover in place until we push it off to the side."

I couldn't help but grin. Whenever I thought there'd be a catch in the plan, Yondu or Kraglin would provide an answer that smoothed it out. I knew some of the Ravagers on board weren't the brightest on their own, but when they worked as a unit, it was actually really impressive what they came up with.

Kraglin went on. "We'll lower someone through the roof –"

"They mean you, Rixh," someone teased. Rixh sighed with resignation and nodded.

"Yeah, it'll have to be Rixh," Kraglin confirmed. "He's the only one among us who's got the most experience with any gigs involving ropes and harnesses."

"Why can't they use an aero-rig?" I quietly asked Halvi.

"We would, but the ones we have are –"

"Let me guess, missing some crucial parts that we'll need to get the next time we dock?"

Halvi nodded. I sighed and rolled my eyes. I really hoped Yondu would bring the _Eclector_ to dock really soon. With the Tailor being out of order, the aero-rigs being on the fritz, and a number of other things that we were running out of spare parts for – things were getting kinda dicey. I refocused on what Kraglin was saying, "The cipher breaker is installed on a tech-cuff. That way Rixh'll be able to use both his hands to handle the safes and less likely to drop the cipher breaker."

"Learned our lesson the last time," Horuz grumbled. Rixh shot him a dirty glare. The beginnings of a snort escaped me and I muffled it, but Rixh still heard it. He scowled in my direction and then turned to Yondu.

"Captain, it sounds to me like we got this covered. Why do we need the extra help?" he jerked a thumb over his shoulder at me. Horuz and a few others grunted their agreement.

"She's got hands, don't she?" Yondu growled. "Then she can help." His hand went to the right side of his coat and swept it back to reveal his holstered Yakka arrow. "And if I hear anybody else complain about her bein' on this team, I'll put this thing through yer eye! Got it!"

"Yes sir!"

"That's what I like to hear!"

Our eyes happened to meet and I mouthed a 'thank you' to him without being obvious about it. His jaw twitched a bit but finally the bare hint of a nod was sent my way. I smiled and settled in for the long hours of strategizing ahead of us.

* * *

 **Terran Date: May 12, 1988**

I awoke with a tingle of excitement, knowing that it was the day of the bank heist. It was also the day before my birthday, but I hadn't really celebrated that in years. Not since Mom stopped registering any of the days that went by. How old would I be tomorrow? Nineteen? Yeah, that was right.

I hopped out of bed and flinched at the hairy monstrosity reflected at me in the mirror. It was going to take forever to brush those tangles out. I sighed and clicked on my music box, opting for speakers instead of wearing the headphones.

" _Looking from a window above,  
It's like a story of love,  
Can you hear me?  
Came back only yesterday  
I'm moving farther away,  
Want you near me…"_

I swayed in time to the music as I valiantly braved the hairy red beast that had taken residence on my head. I'd started singing along to it when I heard a familiar knock on my door. "Come on in, Peter," I called.

The kid entered and cast a wrinkle-nosed frown at my music box. "Why are you listening to that for the gajillionth time?" He flopped onto the bed. "You've got sooo many other tapes of music."

"Because it's my favorite song," I answered, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

He cast another doubtful look at my music box. "Why?"

"I don't know. It just…"

" _All I needed was the love you gave  
All I needed for another day  
And all I ever knew  
Only you…"_

"I can't explain it, kid. I just happened to come across it and it just stuck to me like a _cantorloxy_."

"A what?"

"A really, really sticky creature on my planet that Halvi will agree with me when I say they're a royal pain."

"Oh."

"You've got a favorite song, right?"

Peter grinned. "'Hooked on a Feeling' by Blue Swede."

"Never heard of it."

Peter immediately reached for my music box on the nightstand and switched it off. He unplugged the headphones from his Walkman and fast-forward the tape for a few seconds, then stopped. He looked at me and smiled. "Prepare to be amazed," he said dramatically.

" _Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga  
Ooga-chaka ooga-ooga…"_

I arched a questioning eyebrow at him as I continued brushing my hair. What the s _prek_ was this?

" _I can't stop this feeling  
Deep inside of me,  
Girl, you just don't realize  
What you do to me,_

 _When you hold me_  
 _In your arms so tight,_  
 _You let me know_  
 _Everything's alright,_

 _Iii-iii'm hooked on a feeling,_  
 _I'm high on believing_  
 _That you're in love with me…"_

By the time I finished arranging my hair into its customary braid, I found myself moving in time to the song's catchy beat. " _Squig_ man, you've got to let me copy that into my music trove."

Peter grinned. "Told you you'd like it."

" _All the good love  
When we're all alone,  
Keep it up, girl,  
Yeah, you turn me on,_

 _Iii-iii'm hooked on a feeling,  
I'm high on believing  
That you're in love with me…"_

Oh yeah, that chorus was going to be stuck in my head all day.

When the song was finished, Peter and I made our way to mess hall and I caught some glances aimed in my direction. With our trays in hand, we headed for a table that Halvi, Yarov, Tullk, Oblo, and Aerin were sitting at.

"Uuuh, Lydia?"

"Yeah, Peter?"

"Why are Rixh and Horuz glaring at you?"

"They're always glaring at me."

"Yeah, but this time they're glaring a bit meaner."

I glanced at them. Yep. The kid was right.

"They ain't too keen on havin' her join the ground team, Pete," Kraglin said from behind us. Luckily, I managed to rein in my flinch.

"Yondu's ability to make no sound when he walks must be rubbing off on you," I said with a tight smile. Kraglin smiled sheepishly.

"Why are they unhappy with that?" Peter asked.

"Well, Horuz thinks I'm a waste of space," I casually explained. "And Rixh is just jealous because the captain chose me to be the one the team lowers through the safe."

Kraglin took over for me. "That used to be Rixh's job, on account of him bein' real skinny; but this past year he's put on a few pounds. Every minute counts for a job like this and his weight gain added on to the time it took to lift him up by rope when we were practicing the other day."

If Peter thought the look Rixh was giving me now was dirty, then he should have seen the one Rixh shot me after Yondu suggested I be the one lowered by rope. When it turned out that the change saved us ten minutes, Yondu wasted no time in assigning me the job. Rixh had yet to speak a single word to me since.

"Can I come?" Peter suddenly asked as we sat at the table.

"Absolutely not!" Kraglin and I answered in unison.

Peter pouted, "You guys never let me have any fun."

"I let you practice shooting your stun-gun on orloni in the cargo hold," I said in defense.

"Not the same," Peter mumbled, picking at his food. Suddenly a blue index finger flicked his ear in passing and the owner settled into the empty seat next to Peter.

"Yer food's already dead, so stop pokin' it an' eat it," Yondu grunted.

Peter rubbed his stinging ear and tossed a glare at the captain but one lift of Yondu's eyebrow was all it took to convince Peter that it was a losing battle. The kid picked up his fork and took a big bite. A hint of a grimace began to creep onto Peter's face until he caught Yondu looking at him and schooled his features. Yondu gave a grunt of approval and shoveled food into his own mouth.

* * *

Everyone ate in relative silence. That usually was the case when the Ravagers were hours away from a big heist. If anyone did venture to talk, it was to go over the plans. Yondu had already hashed over the final preparations with Kraglin before breakfast, so there wasn't much to discuss. He felt his attention being drawn to Brosh sitting across the table from him. Anyone else watching her would have thought she was completely confident about the job ahead of her, but he knew better. Experience had taught him what to look for. It had been drilled mercilessly into him to spot a person's weakness. So, the slight trembling of her hands didn't go unnoticed. Nor did her fiddling with the blue pendant around her neck. They were subtle giveaways, but she was doing a fair job hiding her nerves.

"Are you guys going to wear masks?" Peter asked. Lydia gave him a baffled smile.

"What are you talking about?"

"Back on Earth, bank robbers wear masks to hide their identities from the police."

Yondu smirked. "Boy, we're _Ravagers_. We don't hide who we are. Besides, the Nova Corps are so familiar with this handsome mug," he gestured at his face, "that they'd be down-right disappointed if I took to wearing a mask."

Peter gave him a skeptical look. Yondu paused in the middle of lifting his drink. "What is it, boy?" Peter did nothing to hide his doubtful stare, even going so far as to exaggerate it. Yondu set down his cup. "You don't think I'm handsome, Quill?"

Peter shrugged and screwed up his nose. "Mmmmh…" Yondu straightened up. "I mean, I'm sure _somewhere_ in the galaxy you'd be considered handsome…"

Unnoticed by Yondu and Peter, Lydia shifted her gaze elsewhere and quietly sipped her drink. "You sayin' I'm ugly, boy?" Yondu turned in his seat to address the crowded mess hall. "Who here thinks I'm ugly!"

A chorus of disagreements followed.

"You're the pinnacle of manliness, captain!"

"Your chin is a work of art!"

"The handsomest man!"

"Woman swoon at the sight of you!"

As the praises wound down, Yondu swiveled back around and gave Peter a smug grin, baring those crooked, sharp teeth. "What do you have to say to that?"

"Well of course they're going to say those things," the kid said in a tone that one would use for idiots. "You've got a magic arrow that can kill people." Yondu "humphed" in reluctant agreement. Peter suddenly turned to Lydia. "Lydia, do you think Yondu's handsome?"

* * *

I accidently inhaled my drink instead of swallowing it and erupted into a coughing fit. Beating at my chest until I could breath again, I fixed my watery eyes on Peter. "Why do you ask me?"

"Because you're the one person on this ship who isn't afraid to give him a piece of your mind."

I blinked at the kid. Curse. His. Adorable. Self.

I was hyperaware of every eye at the table being focused on me. I cleared my throat and placed my hands on the tabletop, keeping my gaze fixed on them. _Do not engage eye contact with him; I repeat, do NOT engage in eye contact with him!_ I glanced up. His red eyes locked with mine and he smirked, making my heart skip a beat. _Glom it, Lydia!_ I immediately returned my attention to my hands and tried to remember how to form words. They started with consonants, right?

"Well, u-u-um, Peter, uh…" I heard someone stifle a snicker and I swore to reap revenge on them in the near future. "The concept of attractiveness varies across different cultures –"

"I'm not asking about different cultures; I'm asking if _you_ think he's handsome."

On point this kid.

I felt my face flushing and braced myself. "I suppose…that…if I were to be asked if he were attractive or ugly, then…I would say that Captain Yondu is…" I sensed people leaning in closer to catch my words. "…A very…" _Sexy_ "fine looking man." _Fine is good. Fine is a safe word. Can't go too wrong with 'fine'._ I lifted my eyes from my hands and plastered a strained smile on my face. _See, I can give an answer that in no way exposes that I think that blue borga is my kind of man. Because 'fine' is neutral. Fine is –_ Yondu gave me a sly smirk and a wink that turned my insides to jelly. I looked away. _Fine is nowhere near where I'm at right now!_

I cleared my throat. "Um, Peter, shouldn't you be helping Colvin with cleaning the shafts after breakfast?"

"Do I have to?" Peter whined.

"Yer the smallest and the skinniest on the ship, so yes," Yondu answered.

"Lydia's skinny," Peter pointed out.

Yondu's eyes glanced over me and muttered around the rim of his cup, "Not in some places." I pretended not to have heard him.

"Mnnng," the kid pouted. He stood from his seat and I hastily rose to join him.

"Meet us in the hangar in thirty minutes, _darlin_ '," Yondu called. Maybe I was just imagining the teasing lilt in his voice.

* * *

"These vents are like a labyrinth, boy, so you gotta make sure you mark each turn you've taken. Understand?" Colvin handed Peter a white colored stick with an oily texture. "Arrows work best to indicate which direction you went."

Peter nodded glumly. He'd been dreading this moment since two days ago when Lydia and Colvin had come to an agreement that Colvin would look after Peter while she went off-ship on the condition that the kid would assist him with cleaning the ventilation systems.

Lydia nudge him from behind with her knee. _Pay attention_ , the gesture clearly said. Peter sighed and nodded. "Arrows work best, got it."

"I really appreciate this, Colvin," Lydia said, placing her hands atop Peter's shoulders. Out of habit, Peter leaned against her with a lazy slump. She gave his left shoulder a friendly squeeze.

"It's no problem. I've been meaning to fix those drones that clean the vents too small for me for weeks."

"Then why haven't you?" Peter grumped.

Colvin fixed his amethyst-colored eyes on him. "Found out yesterday we're out of the part I need to finish the job."

Lydia sighed. "Yeah, that's been happening a lot lately."

"Captain assured me we'll dock right after this gig so we can restock on supplies. Besides…" He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Some of the guys have been getting' a bit restless. Kinda edgy, if you know what I mean."

Peter felt Lydia stiffen and he looked up at her. Even though he was seeing her from an odd angle, he could still detect the traces of unease on her face.

"Keep on yer toes, Brosh," Colvin added.

Lydia nodded once. "Thanks."

"Do I have to stay here?" Peter asked once more.

Lydia let out a breathless laugh, as if relieved he'd spoken. She turned him around to face her and knelt to his eye-level. "I was told to keep you safe, kid. And taking you along with me on a bank job is far from safe."

"I could stay on the ship," he insisted.

"Yeah, you could. _This_ one."

Peter's hopeful smile fell. "When can I come along?"

Lydia took the writing utensil from Peter's fingers and turned to the nearest wall. "When you'rrrrre…" She eyed the surface for a moment then made a line about six feet off the floor, "this tall."

Peter hurried over and pressed his back to the wall, craning his neck to see how much of a distance there was between the top of his head and the line. He stood on tiptoe and grunted with effort. Colvin chuckled. "Trust me, boy, you've got a long way to go."

Peter was a bit distracted hopping as high as he could to reach the mark. "Mom said I was growing like a weed." Something inside his chest squeezed at the words. His feet thudded back on the floor and he didn't try jumping again.

Lydia noticed his change of behavior and stepped forward. She removed her necklace and knelt in front of him. "Hey, you see this necklace?" He peered at it through his unruly hair. "This is really, really, important to me and I don't want to risk taking it on the job. Think you could look after if for me?" Peter nodded and she placed it around his neck. "There. Now I know it'll be safe." Peter gave her a sheepish grin and she hugged him close. "I'll see you in a few hours, okay?"

Peter's hug tightened. "…Okay."

"Come on, boy," Colvin interrupted. He used a metal pole with a hook on the end to pull a ladder from the vent shaft over their heads. "Up you get."

Peter took a deep breath and pulled away. "You better come back," he told Lydia sternly. She cupped his cheek and smiled with as much conviction as she could muster.

"Yondu said it wasn't very dangerous."

"Then I'll kick his butt for lying if you don't come back."

Lydia ruffled his hair and stood to her feet. Peter watched her leave and then looked down at the blue stone on the necklace. The long chain made the pendant hang low on his chest. He tucked it beneath his shirt.

"Ya ready, Quill?" Colvin asked. Peter groaned and dragged his feet towards the ladder.

* * *

"Remind me again how we're supposed to slip this big boy past the city's security check points?" Lydia asked Kraglin.

He grinned and pointed at a holo-screen that glowed with strings of code. "We got us a code that can make us technically invisible to the check points. It won't register our presence."

"How'd you come across all these code breaking things?"

"Ravager clans are like a family. We may be thieves, but we're more likely to share with someone in the family."

"Ravagers? Sharing?" I repeated doubtfully.

"I said 'likely'," Kraglin reminded me. "Anyways, the clans share contacts with each other. It's part of the code."

"I really want to see this code you guys always mention."

"The Tootooloy Clan has numerous bank contacts. Yondu sent word which bank we were eyeing and they got us in touch with the right guy. He sent us that along with some blueprints and some tech scramblers."

"That's pretty _glom_ sneaky. I'm a bit impressed."

Kraglin snorted a laugh. "This is easy. You should see us on a _real_ job."

"Then I take back my feeling of being impressed and will put it on hold until there's actually something to wow me with."

He and I snickered. It reminded me how close in age we seemed. I studied his features, trying to gage his age but came up with the same guesstimate. Early twenties.

"Kraglin, how old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

"Ha! I was right! We are close in age."

"Really? How old are you?"

"I'll be nineteen tomorrow."

"No kiddin'? I was younger than that when I joined Yondu's crew."

* * *

Said captain was listening in on their conversation while piloting the laser drill ship through the A'askavariian atmosphere. Hearing his first mate speak so easily with Lydia made him feel a bit tense, but he was too interested in what they were saying to pay much mind. A jolt of shock passed through him when he heard Lydia's age. He'd known she was young, but _damn_! She was barely a young woman! Images of her thigh displaying shorts flashed through his mind. Oh, she was a woman alright…albeit a fairly fresh one.

Kraglin and Lydia shared another laugh. Yondu's grip tightened on the controls. _Stay focused. The last thing you need is to be distracted._

* * *

The moment we cleared the clouds, I hurried to the nearest window and gawked at the cityscape below us. I know it made me look like a complete newbie, but considering how limited my travel scope was, can you really blame me?

"Brosh," Yondu called. "Get up here."

I pried myself away from the window and made my way to the front. "Captain?"

"That's our target." He pointed at a gigantic square block of a building that screamed money. I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. This was it. It wasn't some holographic blueprint anymore. This was the real deal.

Yondu subtly glanced around at his crew, then faced forward and lowered his voice. "How you doin', Brosh?"

I kept my gaze forward as well. "Okay. I'm about to commit my first act of crime. No biggie."

"It ain't yer first, so you're technically already a criminal."

I frowned in confusion then belatedly remembered the botched theft attempt that landed me here in the first place. I cringed, prepared to hear another scathing remark from Yondu, but got a teasing, crooked smirk instead. I gave a relieved sigh. Maybe we were finally starting to move forward?

* * *

"Bored, bored, bored, booooored," Peter grumbled as he traipsed along the _Eclector's_ south side vents. He wore his headphones around his neck, the Walkman's volume turned up so that he could hear the music but listen out for Colvin's voice if he called. He paused and took his cleaning tools to a particularly hardened clump of dirt, breaking it up into smaller chunks and then using the travel-sized vacuum-like instrument to suction it into the trash pack he wore on his back.

He knew he wouldn't like vent cleaning duty, but now that he was doing it he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he hated it.

"How's it going, Quill?" Colvin's voice asked over the comm-link.

Peter sighed. "I'm dying of boredom."

"Then that means you're doing the job right. Keep it up, kid."

Finished with the pile of dirt, Peter moved on, marking whatever turns he came across. What kind of adventure was this? Here he was, in the middle of the freakin' galaxy, sailing with space pirates, and what was he doing! Cleaning dirt!

He came across another pile of clutter and stopped to repeat the same boring procedure for the zillionth time. _I bet Lydia's having at least a little bit of fun._ As he waited for the vacuum to suck up the remains, Peter absent-mindedly took off Lydia's necklace and began to swing it so that the chain wrapped around his index finger. When the entire necklace covered his digit, he reversed the process and then repeated the whole thing. Just as the vacuum sucked up the last piece of trash, the necklace slipped out of Peter's fingers and flew away from him. It hit the metal floor and slid to a stop several feet away.

Peter rolled his eyes and adjusted his pack before taking a step towards it, only to pause when a skittering noise caught his attention. He clicked the stop button on his Walkman and listened. The skittering came again, low to the ground, close to where Lydia's necklace had landed at a junction. Peter took a couple of tentative steps closer. "C-Colvin?"

With a high-pitched squeal, an orloni scampered into view and froze at the sight of Peter. He laughed with relief. "It's just one of you ugly, dudes."

The orloni's hairless head twitched towards Lydia's necklace and stared at it. The smile on Peter's face dropped. "Mmh-hmm. Nope. Don't do it." The orloni moved one step closer. "Nooo." Its buckteeth clacked as it chittered. "Doooon't," Peter warned. The orloni made deliberate eye contact with him then swiped the necklace with it skinny, T-rex-like arms and dashed back the way it came. Peter let out a stream of obscenities he'd heard Yondu use and ran after it.

* * *

The clock was ticking the moment the laser drill began to cut away at the bank's roof. There could be no wasted time. Sooner or later someone would notice a ship hovering over the Bank of A'askavariia and alert the Nova Corps. I had already donned my harness and the cords or rope were secured where they needed to be. Kraglin went over the tech-cuff with me again as we waited for the drill to finish.

"We're in," Horuz announced. He and the others hauled the circle of roof out of the way and I was ushered forward by Yondu. His hand gripped my forearm painfully until I was standing at the very edge. His jaw twitched as he looked down at the distance between us and the floor.

"I got this," I assured him. I'd been practicing with the harness non-stop. I knew it almost as well as my gadget, which was currently strapped to my left thigh. I lowered myself to sit on the edge of the hole and waited for the signal from Halvi. Yondu turned on his heel and went to observe Halvi make the final safety test. At Halvi's nod, I took a deep breath … then dropped through the hole.

I plummeted for what felt like forever but was probably only two seconds. I came to a lurching stop and clutched the rope to keep me from flopping around. My descent resumed at a much slower pace, lowering me to the vaults closest to the mid-point of the building. We didn't intend on trying to nab every safe. "Besides," Yondu had informed me, "the vaults closest to the bottom belong to those the high-class consider upper-low class. The higher yer vault, the richer they are." The moment I spotted the vault with the number I was assigned to start with, I told the crew through my comm-link to stop lowering me and set to work.

* * *

"Get back here!" Peter hollered, firing his stun-gun at the orloni. The critter zig and zagged out of harms way, still clutching Lydia's necklace in its tiny hands. He had to get that necklace back! Lydia was gonna kill him! Actually, she might kill the orloni first, then him.

Peter cheered when he saw the orloni had run into a dead end. It furtively looked around then faced Peter who stood gloatingly with his hands on his hips. "Hand over the necklace, rat!"

It chittered and backed against the wall.

"Fine. I warned you." He moved towards the space rodent.

The orloni darted forward and dashed between his feet. Peter whirled around threw himself after it, the creatures tail slipping through his fingers. "No, no, no, no!"

* * *

I finished entering the cipher sequence breaker into my twentieth safe and watched as it broke away from its vector and ascended to the hole in the roof where the Ravagers waited to grab it and stow it on the ship. This was turning out to be easier than I thought it would be. No wonder Yondu had brought me along for this gig. I bet even Peter could pull this off in a year or two.

A high whistle caught my attention and a red blur whizzed past me. I turned in it's direction. Yondu's arrow zipped back around and came to a stop beside me. It spun in place and stopped, pointing upward. I frowned, perplexed, and directed my attention to the hole in the roof. Yondu stood as close to the edge as he could, waving his arms, gesturing for me to ascend. I cocked my head to the side. Why wasn't he talking to me through the comm link? Unless…

I whipped my head around to search the wall closest to me. Sure enough, the tell-tale knob of a comm link scrambler blinked its purple light back at me. "…Oh _sprek_."

* * *

Lydia looked back up and signaled. Yondu smacked Kraglin's arm without taking his gaze off her. "Tell Halvi to pull her back up." Kraglin dashed away to comply. The yakka arrow returned to Yondu's holster and he knelt on one knee at the hole's edge to watch Lydia's ascension.

He'd known something was up when he'd made a snarky remark directed to Lydia through their comm link and she hadn't responded with so much as a scoff. He'd repeated it and waited but still nothing. He checked his comms and found nothing amiss. "Did ya'll catch what I said?" he'd asked his crew, still using the comms. They all replied the affirmative…except for Lydia.

Immediately, he got Kraglin to do a sweep of the bank's security, see if anything had been triggered and got bad news. The bank had installed new motion sensors along the mid-levels and communication scramblers two days ago. The Ravager's inside man had been let go under suspicion of illegal activities and had been unable to get in touch with the Clans until just an hour ago. The Tootooloy Clan messaged Yondu as soon as they could but with the communication scramblers inside the building having a slight effect on their signal, the warning hadn't come instantly.

Yondu found himself holding his breath as Lydia began to rise. Their time slot had been severely cut down and the mechanics responsible for lifting her back to the roof had never moved so slow. He'd promised her momma he'd keep her safe. Hell, over the weeks of her training he found himself making that promise to _himself_. Despite Lydia proving she was capable of defending and taking care of herself, there was something about her that niggled at that protective instinct inside of him. He chalked it up to the fact that next to Peter, she was the youngest in his crew and she was female, but a tiny voice said, "That ain't all there is to it."

"Come on, girl," he hissed beneath his breath.

That was when the hoist machine broke.

* * *

The fluttering feeling you get in your stomach when you fall from a great height can excite some people. NOT ME! One moment I was being lifted back to the roof, the next, I was plummeting to my death! And during those terrifying seven seconds of hurtling to the ground, my only thought was, _Peter's gonna kick Yondu's tookum for this_. Before my thoughts could expand to more existential things, my decent came to jolting stop. I was still very far away from the ground floor, but the distance between me and the roof was worrisome. Very faintly I could make out Yondu's raspy voice shouting my last name. My arms felt as stable as jelly, but I managed a weak wave to signal I was alright, although I wasn't exactly sure he could have seen it from so far away.

As I dangled there, running through every possible worst-case scenario that entered my brain, I realized I should probably focus on finding a way back up to the roof instead. With my thoughts redirected, I examined my surroundings and the harness gear.

* * *

"You tryin' ta get her killed, Halvi!" Yondu shouted, ready to spit fire. Halvi finished tying off the rope and faced him. "What happened?!"

"The pin snapped, captain."

"How'd it snap? You gave the all-clear that this gear was in fine condition!"

Halvi's brow wrinkled in confusion. "I'm afraid that isn't true, captain. I never inspected this equipment."

"Kraglin told me you gave him the all-clear."

"That ain't exactly what I said, cap'n. I told you Chet came to me with word from Halvi that he'd checked the gear and said it was safe to use."

"….."

All eyes turned to Chet; a red-skinned creature with small horns that formed a mohawk on his head. He seemed to shrink under the collective gaze of the men and began to tremble as Yondu approached him with the slow walk of a man out for blood.

"Did you check the equipment, Mr. Chet?" Yondu growled.

Fat droplets of sweat dripped down Chet's face. "I – um – I might have –"

"Did you or did you not?"

"I did! I just – well, see, I had forgotten to check it yesterday and by the time I remembered we were just minutes away from leaving and I might not have looked very closely at it and –"

Yondu whistled and the yakka arrow tore through Chet's throat in a spray of blood. Chet's face was frozen in shock as his body slumped to the ground. Yondu stepped over the body and peered down into the hole. "Get her back up here," he said calmly. When he heard no movement happening, he whirled around and bared his teeth at his crew. "NOW!" The men scrambled to obey.

* * *

"Here, orloniii! Here, boooy!" Peter whistled a couple of times – the sound not as clear and sharp as Yondu's but he was working on it – and rounded the corner with his stun gun held in front of him and ready to fire at the first squeak he heard. That rodent was toast!

"Come out, come out, wherever you aaare!"

He barely managed to catch the muffled skittering of tiny claws coming from the vents to his left. He dashed in its direction and froze in the middle of another junction. Where had the little rat gone? Another sound gave away it's location and he ran after it. The rat was gnawing on the blue pendant, it's back turned to Peter.

Peter slowly put one foot in front of the other until he was close enough to fire without a chance of missing. He lined the shot and the tip of his tongue poked out as he concentrated. _Three, two, one…fire!_ He pulled the trigger and would have missed if the orloni hadn't turned around and practically moved into the blast. The force flung the tiny body back several feet and it dropped Lydia's necklace.

"Yes!" Peter cheered. He ran forward and snatched up the necklace, closing his small fist tightly over it as if another creature might try to take it from him. He shoved it into his jacket pocket and zipped it shut with finality. He turned on his heel and looked up. The smile fell from his face.

He had no idea where he was.

* * *

I took calming breaths to steady my nerves and psych myself up to do what I knew was my only option. Unclip myself from the harness and climb up the rope to the roof that was over eighty feet above me. Yes, Yondu had helped me improve my upper body strength but not to that extent! I kept picturing my arms giving out and plummeting to my death. But I had an idea. My father used to tell me stories of shows called circuses back on Terra. He loved going to them as a boy and his favorite act in the show were people called aerial silk performers. They could carry out intricate choreography without harnesses, just long bolts of silk and maybe a metal hoop. I didn't have a hoop or bolts of silk, but I had rope and my spear. Agility and experience with rope on the other hand….

I undid the catch holding my gadget to my thigh and pressed the button that made it spring into full size, minus the spear head. I lifted it a few inches above where my harness was secured to the rope and twisted it several times around the spear shaft and angled it to be horizontal. The rope was taut enough that it held the shaft snuggly but could slid upward if directed to. Leaning back until I was almost facedown, I wrapped my legs around the pole of my spear and righted myself so that my weight was supported by it. I tested it by bouncing a bit, but it held. My hand trembled as I reached down and freed myself from the harness.

* * *

What the _hell_ was that girl doing! Yondu watched in utter disbelief as Lydia actually began to scale the rope using only her gadget and wrapping the rope about her arms and legs. She was too far down for him to see in detail how she was accomplishing it. From what he could make out, she was using her arms to haul herself up while using the movement to carry the spear along with her and provide a temporary perch to ease her arms, but only for the briefest of moments because he noted that if she stayed still too long, the spear shaft would start to slid back down.

"I'll be darned," Kraglin said in awe, echoing his thoughts with a slight difference in word choice. The rest of the men, minus Halvi who was still attempting to get the hoist working again, gathered around the hole and gaped at the sight.

As impressed as he was with Lydia's nerve, Yondu knew they were nearly out of time. The Nova Corps would have been alerted by now. Halvi wouldn't be able to fix the hoist in time and Lydia couldn't climb fast enough. Horuz apparently came to the same conclusion. "We're gonna have to leave her and take what we've got."

A blue hand clamped down on his throat and squeezed to the point that Horuz could barely breath. "What did you just say," Yondu hissed. His crimson eyes burned into the man. Horuz gasped for air. "Ravagers don't leave their own behind. You know that as well as I do. So don't ever suggest it again." He got nose to nose with him. "Got it?" Horuz nodded to the best of his ability. Yondu tossed him aside and glared at the rest of his crew. "Anybody else share the same feelings as Horuz here?" No one dared to respond. "Then get yer asses in gear and get that thing workin' again to haul her up!"

* * *

This was bad. This was very, very bad. He'd been so intent on catching the orloni that he'd taken no notice of where he'd been running or marked the turns like Colvin told him to do. As Peter wandered about the ship's ventilation system, he kept hoping to stumble across one of the arrows he'd made before chasing the orloni. How far had he strayed? He didn't want to call Colvin over the comms and admit he was lost; that would be too embarrassing. But he felt like he'd been walking forever…and he reeeeeeally needed to pee.

Sighing, Peter activated his comm. "Colviiin…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm kinda lost."

"Kinda lost?"

"Okay, fine. I'm as lost as it gets. And I gotta pee."

"Just find a spot on the wall and go."

"Yuck! That's gross!"

"We do it all the time."

"…Well that explains why some of the vents I pass smell like pee."

"Where are you at, kid?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't be calling you!"

"Fair point, but I meant your surroundings. Describe what the area around you looks like."

Peter's face was set in a deadpan expression as he reported, "Metal walls." He could almost picture Colvin facepalming himself.

When Colvin spoke again, Peter could clearly detect the restrained frustration in his tone. "Okaaay," he sighed, "Sit tight, kid, and I'll head back to the utility room."

"You're leaving me up here alone!"

"It's just for a moment, thirty minutes tops. I gotta grab the locator from there and enter the code for the tracer installed in your equipment."

"You couldn't have brought that with you before we got started?"

"I was foolishly hopeful that you might actually listen to my advice and not get lost."

"Wow. You've never been around kids, have you?"

Colvin didn't respond to that.

* * *

"Uuuuuh, cap'n?" Kraglin called uneasily.

"What?" Yondu turned to face his first mate and found the younger man pointing out into the distance. Yondu squinted, then swore. Six Nova Corps Star Blasters were heading their way. He hurried to the hole to gauge the distance Lydia had left to cover. Too much. Too damn much!

"Come on, Brosh!" he urged.

"Captain," Horuz began.

Yondu turned on him with such swiftness that it caught the entire crew off guard. A short, high pitched whistle had the yakka arrow barely an inch from Horuz's forehead. "You wanna join Chet?"

Suddenly, his face lost its ferocity and he stared at the arrow intensely. Another whistle followed and Horuz flung his hands up in an attempt to shield himself but nothing happened. The arrow was zooming away from him and diving into the hole in the roof.

"Brosh!" Yondu called. "Grab the arrow!"

"Why!"

"Just do it, woman!"

* * *

My arms were trembling uncontrollably. I was minutes away from losing the last of my strength and not even close to reaching the roof. I was so focused on not letting go of the rope that when Yondu's yakka arrow zipped by me and did an about turn, I ignored it.

"Brosh! Grab the arrow!"

I glanced at it then back at him – a small blue dot in the distance. "Why!" I shouted.

"Just do it, woman!"

I glared, remembered I was too far away for him to see it and appreciate the intensity of it, then switched my focused on the arrow. I doubled my grip on the rope with my right hand and reached for the arrow with my left. I missed once, twice and managed to nab it on my third try. I looked up at Yondu. "Now what!"

"Grab it with both hands!"

I was about to ask him how he expected me to hold the arrow with both hands and keep climbing when he added, "Do it! Ain't got time to argue! Hold on like your life depends on it!"

Turns out he wasn't joking. The moment I grasped it with both hands, the arrow s _prekin'_ lifted me into the air! I let out a startled scream and shut my eyes in terror. I expected at any moment for my weight to overwhelm the yakka arrow and fail to lift me, but it remained constant in its ascent. Before long, I felt my feet touch something solid and cracked an eyelid open to find me standing on the roof among the crew. Yondu didn't waste a second, he grabbed me by the wrist and everyone began to haul _tookum_ towards the ship.

* * *

I worried that we wouldn't be able to outfly the six Nova Corps Star Blasters on our tail, but when Yondu got behind the controls those worries went bye-bye. It was obvious that Yondu was an expert flyer and had plenty of experience shaking off Nova Corps flyers. He managed to send them on a wild goose chase (a Terran phrase my dad often used to describe situations like ours and yet he never got around to explaining what it really meant) while we got away and I finally began to breath easier when we left the planet's atmosphere and all around us were stars.

It was when I first caught sight of the _Eclector_ when Kraglin and Slop (I swear that's his actual name! Maybe it translates into something more pleasant in his native language?) came back from the investigating the safes in the cargo hold and informed us that we'd gotten away with over sixty-five million units worth of loot. My jaw dropped.

"Think it's enough to celebrate over, captain?" Rixh asked hopefully. I could practically hear him mentally chanting, "Paaarty, paaarty, paaarty!"

"I suppose that'll be plenty enough," Yondu said.

Rixh let out a whoop and Kraglin got in touch with the crew onboard the _Eclector_ to tell them the good news.

I whipped my head around to gawk at Yondu. How could he say that he 'supposed that'll be plenty enough'? He noticed my confusion and chuckled. "Darlin' with a ship that size," he gestured to the _Eclector_ , "needin' fuel, the supplies we need to restock on, and the number of men onboard it to split the profits with, you think that sixty million is gonna last long?"

I shrugged and looked out the window. "I wouldn't know. I struggled to make at least 300 units last me and Mom for a month."

Yondu got really quiet for several long seconds before speaking again. "Knowhere's notorious for having outrageously high prices to begin with."

"Yep. And the pay there was _sprek_ too."

I felt his eyes on me, but I didn't turn to look at him.

* * *

"Lydiaaaaaaaa!" Peter cried happily as he ran into the hangar and slammed headlong into me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and I let out an 'oof'.

"Geez, kid, I wasn't gone that long," I chuckled, hugging him back. "How was vent cleaning duty?"

"Uuum, uneventful."

"The boy got lost," Colvin announced as he lumbered into the hangar to help the crew unload the vaults.

Peter frowned at him. "Traitor!"

I ruffled his hair. "Anything else happen today?"

"…Nope."

Just as I was about to question him on his suspicious hesitancy, Peter unzipped his jacket pocket and held up my necklace. "Here ya go! Safe and sound!"

"Aw, thanks, Peter." I slipped it over my neck.

Peter's brow wrinkled as he observed the crew filing out of the laser drill ship. "Hey, weren't there nine of you?"

I thought about it and turned to survey the men's faces. Come to think of it, we did seem to be one man short. Where was Chet?

Yondu was the last to exit the ship and I jogged over to meet him. "Uh, Yondu, I think we're missing a guy –" I began, but he didn't let me finish.

"Ain't missin'. I know where he is."

"Aaand that would be?"

"Dead."

"…Oh." I blinked in surprise. "What happened?"

A muscle in his jaw twitched. "Killed 'im. He made a mistake that nearly got you killed and nearly made us all get caught." And with that, he doubled his pace and left me behind to stare at his retreating back. There were times I forgot that he was _the_ Yondu Udonta that even the toughest of criminals on Knowhere dreaded running into. How could the man who just calmly admitted to killing a member of his crew be the same one who'd asked me to remodel a stun-gun for little Peter so he could be safe? The same one who was teaching me how to fight so I could better defend myself. I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"Hey, Lydia? Where's your gadget?" Peter asked.

I looked down at the empty holster at my thigh and belatedly remembered leaving it behind, twisted within the rope. Groaning, I slumped in disappointment. I'd spent countless hours and days working on that thing! Now it was gone. Yeah, I could make another one, but come oooon….

I threw an arm around Peter's shoulders as we began to walk out of the hangar. "Have I got a story to tell you," I told him.

"Heh, no kiddin'…"

* * *

Later on, after all the vaults had been opened, the loot divided between the crew and the rest set aside for fuel and supplies, a good percentage of the ship's crew had gathered in the mess hall to celebrate the haul. Somehow Kraglin managed to convince Yondu to let me hook up my music box to the sound system in the mess hall and 'Princes of the Universe' by Queen blasted throughout the vast room. Looking around, I could tell I wasn't the only one who enjoyed Terran music. I saw several men head banging along to the beat while Peter stood atop one of the tables and showed Oblo how to do something called 'playing air guitar'.

"Then what happened?" Aerin asked. He, Colvin, and Tullk had gathered around to hear about my first gig. I'd told the story so often already that my voice was starting to go hoarse.

"Ain't you got someone else to bother?" Yondu asked gruffly as he sat himself in the seat next to mine. He held a bottle in each hand. "Girl's been repeating herself for over two hours to all ya'll termites."

"Aaaw; but, captain, she was just getting to the good par –"

Yondu glared as he lifted the bottle to his lips. The men gulped, nodded, then left. I sighed with relief and slumped in my seat. "Thanks for that."

"Here." He held out a bottle to me. "Got ya somethin'. Figured you'd be thirsty with all the talkin' you've been doin'."

I looked at him curiously, but gratefully accepted the drink. "Again; thank you." I sipped at my drink which turned out to be a very light alcoholic beverage. "I noticed you took Peter away."

"Yeah, he wasn't very happy 'bout it. But the drinks are startin' to flow a bit more freely and he don't need to be in here." He sat next to me and I detected a sense of discomfort coming off of him. He kept his eyes trained on the bottle he held. I tipped my head at it. "What are you drinking, Prince Charming?"

The hint of a smile curled the corner of his mouth, but he still didn't meet my eyes. "Somethin' that would knock you off yer feet in a heartbeat," he commented and took a long swig.

"Are you calling me a lightweight, Captain Udonta?"

His crimson gaze looked me over, contemplating. "Without a doubt."

I scoffed, feeling slightly indignant. "Well, I beg to differ."

This time he did meet my eyes. "Is that right, darlin?" He swished the liquid contents of the bottle. "You think you can handle this stuff?"

I held out my hand, waiting.

He snorted. "Not a chance, princess."

I was getting a bit tired of the men on this ship underestimating me, so maybe that's why I did it. Normally I wouldn't have done something so stupid; but I'd just helped them pull off a bank heist and they were still doubting my capabilities! So yeah, I was a bit ticked. As he raised the bottle to his lips, I snatched it from his grasp and downed a good portion of it before the burning in my throat quickly became apparent. I pulled the bottle away and hacked uncontrollably. My eyes watered. I felt dizzy.

I squinted at the label, trying and failing to read it. "What is this stuff?" I coughed.

" _Yirshma_ ," Yondu answered, attempting to take the bottle back from me. I moved it out of reach and took another long pull on it. "Darlin', why don' ya give me that back, hm?"

I spluttered a giggle. This stuff had a kick to it. "Naaaah. Sss'aaaaaall good, cap."

I really, really, really wish I'd given him back the bottle.

* * *

"Knowhere suuuuuuuucked," a very drunk Lydia was telling Oblo. "It was jusssss – the worst!"

"No kidding?" an equally drunk Oblo commented.

"Oh yeah, it was – Knowpear – Knowcare – Know… What's it called? … Nofair! …. No, tha'sss not it…"

Kraglin slid into the seat next to Yondu and cringed. "Whoa. How many has she had?"

Yondu ran a hand over his face. "You wouldn't believe it."

"Ten?"

"Nope."

"Fifteen?" Kraglin asked, incredulous.

"Nuh-uh. Lower."

"…Four?"

"Lower."

"Three?"

"She ain't even finished the half-bottle of _yirshma_ I was drinkin'."

"Yeesh. Wait, you gave her _yirshma_!"

"I ain't give it to her! She took it!"

Lydia slung her arms around the necks of Oblo and Yarov. "I jusss' wanna tell you guys…I am soooo grapeful to yousss for taking me from a shucky life on Nofair."

"It was nuthin'," Oblo gushed.

" _Nooo_ ," Lydia insisted. "No, it was not nothin'!"

Kraglin chuckled quietly. "Looks like she's a grateful drunk."

"Hmph." Yondu quietly sipped his _yirshma_ as he kept watch over Lydia. After she had absconded with his bottle, he'd limited himself to only one so he could be on alert and observe her. There was no telling what could happen.

When it became apparent to Kraglin that Yondu wasn't paying attention to a word he was saying, he took the hint and slipped away. Yondu stood from the table and occupied a spot against the wall where he could better observe Lydia. Apparently, Drunk Lydia was a social butterfly and was making her rounds. Music was still playing; a slow beat punctuated by a drum beat. A tinny voice began to speak. _"If you've got love in your sights, /Watch out…love bites…"_

Some of the crew were at that point in drunkenness when men gather close, arms thrown about each other, swaying and singing along to whatever song is playing whether they know the lyrics or not. One such group consisted of Gef, Wretch, and Taserface.

" _When you make love, do you look in your mirror?  
Who do you think of?"_

" _Does he look like me?"_ Taserface wheezed into the face of Wretch. Wretch screwed up his face in disgust. "Oh geez, I hope not…"

Yondu snorted and returned his attention to Lydia, only to find she was making her way towards him. She wasn't staggering, but there was a hint of wobbling going on. She leaned a shoulder against the wall, mirroring his position, and smiled at him. "Yondu Udonta, for a man who frowns s-so often I'm surprised you developed laughter lines first."

Yondu cracked a tiny smile. "Guess I hired myself a crew member who makes me laugh at her sheer stupidity."

" _Hired_? Ish that what we're calling it now?"

"Sounds like yer slurring's eased up."

"I don't shlurr," she pouted, and Yondu's attention was drawn to her cupid's bow mouth.

"Hmph." He couldn't help but notice she'd inched a little closer to him. "Got a little bit tipsy, did we?"

Lydia held up her thumb and index finger, showing a tiny sliver of space in between them. "Just a liiiittle bit."

"Oh, only that much, huh?"

Lydia giggled and pitched forward. Yondu immediately grabbed her and she fell against his chest. "Steady, sugar." Too close. She was way too close to him. He placed his hands on her hips and lightly moved her back a couple of steps. "Should have taken that bottle away from you when I had the chance," he muttered.

"You know it's my birthday tomorrow," she said out of the blue.

"Is that right?"

"Mm-hmm. Back on Threfy – Threshy – Threxia, if –" she hiccupped, "If it was your birthday, you were granted one birthday wish."

She was pressing up against him again. Why'd she have to feel so good? "Only one?"

"Mmh-hm."

"And could it be anything you wanted?"

Lydia tilted her head back and forth and shrugged. "Within r-reason."

"Figured." She had a smile that reached those green eyes of hers and he caught himself staring at them for a bit too long. "And what's yours?"

Lydia motioned for him to lean in. "Come 'ere." He hesitated at first but dipped his head close and angled his ear to catch her words. He felt her hand gently grasp him by the chin and turn his face towards her. Soft lips covered his own.

Yondu's mind went blank. He'd endured twenty years of torment as a Kree battle slave before becoming a Ravager. He carried that around with him every day in the form of scars both physical and mental. But the moment Lydia kissed him, he felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders. His skin buzzed from where she touched him.

" _Oh yeah, I don't want to touch you too much baby  
'Cause making love to you might drive me crazy…"_

Lydia's thumb caressed his jawline as she leaned more into the kiss. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her closer. _Just a little bit closer…_

" _I know you think that love is the way you make it  
So I don't want to be there when you decide to break it, no…"_

He felt her hands press against his chest and he pulled back to look at her. Her eyes were a bit unfocused. "Yondu…I don't feel so good." And just like that, she went limp in his arms. Of course, she would. The girl was drunk. He'd known that and still kissed her back. She probably wasn't even aware of what she was doing. Yondu's jaw clenched as he fought back a flash of anger directed at himself for falling for it again. It was his own fault this time. Not hers. He shifted her weight in his arms so that she leaned against him and that buzz beneath his skin started to turn into a frenzy.

" _If you've got love in your sights  
Watch out, love bites…"_

He had to get her to her room; away from the crew and most importantly, away from him. A pillar of darkness passed them by on his way to exit the mess hall. "Halvi," Yondu barked.

"Captain?"

He could trust Halvi with Lydia in the state she was in. It occurred to him that he'd subconsciously been keeping track of the men who he could trust Lydia to be safe with. Yondu hoisted Lydia into his arms and carried her to Halvi. "Take her to her quarters and make sure the door gets locked. I done killed one crewman today, I ain't too keen on killin' more cause they're too drunk to use what limited smarts they got."

"Yes, sir," Halvi agreed as Yondu transferred the girl to him.

Yondu watched until they were out of sight. The moment they were gone, he marched to where the bottles of _yirshma_ were kept and began to guzzle them down. After his third – fourth? – bottle, he wiped his mouth dry with the back of his hand and felt another kind of buzz beginning to take over. This one was familiar. It was the sensation he got after a successful heist and he had energy that needed to be spent. Preferably with some female companionship.

Shoving his way through the sea of bodies, he climbed atop a table and shouted for his men's attention. Blurry eyes attempted to focus on him. "Seein' as how it's been a long while and this gig still turned out to be a success, how's about we set our course to Contraxia. We'll be on planet for forty-eight hours to get supplies and a li'l bit a' lovin'? Huh!"

This was met with ecstatic whoops and cheers. "I love you, captain!" someone drunkenly declared.

"Shuddup!"

"I love him so much," the drunken voice added and dissolved into weeping.

"All men sober enough, get to yer stations!" Yondu ordered.

Unsteady feet scrambled to exit the mess hall and carry out his demands. Yondu steered himself to the bridge and plopped into the captain's chair. Images of a freckled red-head who's face seemed vaguely familiar toyed with his mind and he shook his head to clear it. Forty-eight hours. He had forty-eight hours to calm the buzz and try to get Lydia off his brain.

* * *

Contraxia, despite being an ice planet, was best known for its red-light districts. Each city had about a dozen of those establishments. It was also a favorite stop for many of the Ravager clans. But for those in the know, there was only one city on the whole planet that was the best; Tege. Yondu favored a certain bordello there called The Iron Lotus, which specialized in love bots, but for this trip, he was craving the warmth of flesh.

Kraglin was left in charge of the skeleton crew and the _Eclector_ for the first twenty-four hours, then Yondu and a select few would trade places to give the others a chance to cut loose too. As the crew scattered to different destinations, Yondu headed for another brothel that he frequented and burst through the doors. "Ladies!" he cried, stumbling slightly due to the lingering effect of _yirshma_.

"Captain Udonta!" the madam cried out, flinging her arms wide and rushing to greet him. And why wouldn't she? A visit from the Udonta Clan always meant a lot of money for her business. Yondu chuckled and bent down to briefly embrace the woman. "How are you!"

"Anxious."

Madame took him by the elbow and led him further into the room, talking as they walked. "Well, I'm sure someone here can help you with that." She turned round and searched the faces she could make out in the dimly lit area. "Let's see. There's Corva, Loosh, oh – Pratila is working tonight, I believe she fancies you –"

Yondu shook his head. "Partila's a red-head, ain't she?"

Madame nodded. "Beautiful, flaming red hair –"

"No red-heads. And nobody with freckles either."

"Then I think you'll be happy with me," a sensual voice whispered in his ear. It took every effort in him not to turn around swinging. A milk-white hand snaked its way up his back, down his right shoulder, over his chest and stomach then stopped at his belt. The owner of the hand was tall, had curves in all the right places, breasts that looked liable to bust out of her corset, and long black hair. Pure black eyes gazed back at him.

Yondu looked her up and down. She smiled as if she enjoyed the attention. "Well?" she asked, her tone teasing. "Will I work for you?" Her fingers reached for the top string of her corset and pulled it loose enough that a generous portion of her cleavage was revealed.

"That'll do it," Yondu chuckled, the tip of his tongue running along his teeth.

A sinful smirk curled her red lips. "I thought it might. I go by Obsidia."

"Yondu."

"Yes, I know. I've heard about you from some of the ladies here. Favorable things, oddly enough. It got me curious."

"Well how about we satisfy that curiosity, hm?" He hooked his arm through hers and she led the way upstairs. They stopped in front of the second to last of the doors that lined the long hallway. Once inside, Yondu immediately flopped on the bed, propping himself up on the various pillows, and put his hands behind his head as he grinned at Obsidia.

Obsidia hung a string of beads on the outside knob as a sign the room was currently occupied before closing and locking the door. "Now, are you the rough, frisky, or get right down to business sort?"

"I can be a little bit of each, depending on my mood."

"And just what sort of a mood are you in tonight?"

He brought one of his hands out from behind his head and crooked a finger at her. "Why don't you come over here an' find out."

To her credit, she didn't hesitate when she did just that. She was supposed to get his mind off of her. Somehow that plan didn't work. They didn't look alike at all! And yet, he still called her 'Lydia' at the moment when any woman who wasn't being paid for her services would have either slapped or stabbed a man for calling her another woman's name. Obsidia merely blinked – temporarily thrown off – then said, "If that's what you want to call me then I won't object," and carried on.

It was supposed to have worked. Having sex with someone Lydia's complete opposite was supposed to have distracted him. But he'd known all along that it wouldn't work. She was buried too deep beneath his skin.

 **(Wow, that was a long chapter! I hope it was worth the wait. Sorry I wasn't able to get it posted in October. I really did try but I started to fall asleep at the computer and my fingers would keep typing so when I'd jolt awake I'd find gibberish typed up and have to start again. Please leave me a review and let me know your thoughts, any critics, ideas or suggestions, etc. I love to hear from you, Dear Readers! Until next time!)**


	11. Pretty Woman, Don't Make Me Cry

**(Greetings, Dear Readers; Merry Christmas! Think of this chapter as my gift to you. I hope you like it. This chapter will mostly be from Yondu's point of view, hope that's okay with all of you. It just seemed to flow better this way.)**

 **[Songs used, mentioned, and suggested for Chapter Eleven]**

 **~ "Do Ya" by Electric Light Orchestra (listen when Lydia goes to Contraxia)**

 **~ "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbinson (listen when Lydia steps out from the changing stall)**

 **~ "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles (can be listened to at any time)**

 **~ "When the Stars Go Blue" by Tim McGraw (listen towards the end when Lydia's alone in her room)**

 **Chapter Eleven**

 _Pretty Woman, Don't Make Me Cry…_

The Next Day

Terran Date: May 13th, 1989

I was dying. That's the only explanation for the pain I felt upon waking up. I was dying a horrible, agonizing, excruciating death. My head must have been split wide open by some fall I had no memory of – and why should I – considering my head was cracked open! My vision had gone black. Why? What Powers-That-Be had allowed me to cling to life long enough to wake up and realize I was dying? What kind of a sick joke was this!

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

Oh _druux_ , the pain! It throbbed in time to the metallic pounding coming from somewhere close by.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

End my life now! Please! Anything to stop the pain!

"Lydiaaa?"

Suddenly, my sight returned, albeit slightly blurry. It dawned on me that I'd had my eyes closed. My fingers rubbed away the grit from my eyes and I groaned at the discomfort that mere motion alone caused.

"Lydiaaa!"

Who was causing that awful racket?

"It's me; Peter!"

Well, mystery solved.

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"Are you dead?" Peter shouted.

My answer came out in a drawn-out groan that turned just a hint aggressive at the end. "YeeeEEEESSSSS!"

Stunned silence. Then, "…Wow…He said you'd say that!"

My eyelids felt heavy. They drifted shut, only to snap back open when the banging resumed. "Peter!" I barked. A knife of pain sliced into my skull at the volume. "Quite that banging!"

"I can't! Yondu told me to keep at it until you come to the door!"

That. _Borga_!

With Peter's small fist relentlessly prompting me to move, I begrudgingly shifted my weight over the edge of the bed, fell off with a yelp of surprise and pain, and crawled my way to the door. I slapped my palm onto the panel and the doors whooshed open. I blearily looked up at Peter's face and scowled. "What do you want?" I hissed.

"Why are you so crabby?"

"Didn't you hear? I'm dying."

"Oh." He was holding a mug of water in one hand and something tiny was cupped in the palm of the other.

"What is that?" I asked, having trouble focusing my gaze.

"Something Yondu told me to give you if you haven't murdered me at this point."

"Again; what is it?"

"Medicine to make the headache go away. 'So's she can do her job of watchin' you like she's supposed to,'" Peter said in a rather uncanny impression of Yondu.

I held up my hand. "Gimme."

Peter graciously handed over the cup and pills and waited until I guzzled the last drop. "Breakfast?" he asked.

My stomach roiled at the idea. "No thanks."

"Not for you, for me," Peter clarified. "Most of the crew are still planet-side, including the cooks, so we have to fend for ourselves and I can't figure out how the stove works."

"Planet-side? Where are we?"

"Contraxia."

It didn't ring any bells with me; which I was grateful for considering any noise above a whisper at the moment made me want to curl up into a ball and cry.

"Food," Peter reminded me.

"Okay," I grunted, easing myself upright and holding out a hand to the wall to steady myself. I motioned for Peter to step back and when he did, I closed the doors.

"Hey!" He beat on the door. "No fair!"

"Chill, kid! I'm just getting dressed!"

"…Oh."

…

Peter was right. The ship seemed deserted as we made our way to the kitchen, which looked pretty messy. Fuzzy memories of last night's celebration tried to form in my head. I remembered wanting to prove Yondu wrong about me being a lightweight and then…. Did I really spend the whole night drunkenly complaining about a sucky life on Knowhere and _thanking_ the Ravagers for forcibly taking me away? Note to self; _never_ drink _yirshma_ again.

"Is Yondu planet-side too?" I asked, gathering a few ingredients to make Peter breakfast.

"Yeah," he answered. "He's been there since last night. I asked Kraglin how long he'd be gone. He said Yondu and the crew that went with him had twenty-four hours planet-side and that they'd be back in about six hours to switch out with him and the others."

My forehead crinkled. "What's he been doing over there for nineteen hours?"

Peter shrugged then suddenly sat up. "Oh! I almost forgot!"

I cringed. "Inside voice," I reminded him.

"Sorry," he apologized, fishing around in his jacket pocket. He withdrew a folded sheet of paper and held it out to me. "Yondu also told me to give this to you after you took the medicine."

I took it and opened it up. My eyes still refused to focus enough for me to read what was written. I must have been experiencing what was called a hangover because if I'd been properly thinking, I never would have handed it back to the kid and said, "Could you read it aloud for me, Peter?"

"Sure." He smoothed it out on the prep table and cleared his throat. "'Dear Sugar tits'…"

My face went flaming hot with embarrassment. It didn't end there.

"'The ship is space-docked at Contraxia for forty-eight hours. If you're co – cohe…,'" Peter's face twisted in concentration as he tried to sound out the word.

"Coherent?" I offered.

"Yeah. That's it. 'If you're coherent enough to watch the boy until I get back then maybe you ain't such a lightweight. Most of us will be at the bordellos, so don't even think about trying to contact me unless you want to hear what you're missing out on. Be back in twenty-four hours."

Peter looked up at me quizzically. "Lydia, what's a bordello?"

"Uuuuuuh – Oh, look at that! Breakfast is ready!"

I was going to murder Yondu.

…

 _Seven Hours Later_

 _Terran Time: 3pm_

He should have turned on his heel and walked away the moment he saw her standing in the hanger, waiting for him with those shapely hips jutted off to the side and arms folded beneath her breasts. She was ticked off and he had a feeling it had to do with what happened last night. He shouldn't have kissed her back, drunk or not. Despite her angry stance, Yondu felt that buzzing sensation beneath his skin that he was becoming too familiar with. He'd spent hours in that bordello; he should have gotten it out of his system. One glance at the way her folded arms pushed up her breasts and Yondu knew the bordello had done squat. Lydia's foot began to tap on the floor as she stared him down. Well, better get it over with.

He opened his mouth –

" _Sugar tits_?" Lydia hissed.

Yondu's brows drew together. "What?"

"Of all things to put in a letter, Yondu! I asked Peter to read it aloud for me because I couldn't see straight! That was mortifying!"

An amused grinned teased the corners of his mouth. "You –" He held back a chuckle. "You had Peter read it?"

A finger nearly poked his nose as she stabbed the air between them. "Don't you _scarrin_ ' laugh, Udonta. I've had to dodge Peter's questions about what bordellos are all day. Luckily, I sent him to do laundry a few minutes ago and don't have to worry about him going to you for answers for at least two or three hours." She stared at him in annoyed silence for a few seconds. "You're still smiling."

A full-on grin split his face. "Darlin', I ain't even tryin' to hide it!"

"At least have the decency to!"

"Decency?" He blinked and pointed at himself. "Have you met me?" Lydia rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ya know, I ain't heard a thank you yet 'bout that medicine."

Her features softened a bit. "Yeah, thanks for that."

Yondu's eyebrows lifted and he whipped his head around a few times. "Did anybody else hear that? The princess thanked me!"

"Sssshhhh!" Lydia hushed with a suppressed giggle, reaching out to swat his arm. Yondu let her. Hell, was he starving for her touch that badly? She seemed to hesitate as if debating on saying something.

"What is it, Brosh?"

"I was talking with Kraglin earlier today, and he said that you put him in charge of resupplying the ship while you were gone."

"Yeah. And?"

"Well, none of the nearby garages sell the parts we need to get the Tailor up and running, so he had to place an order from a shop on the other side of the planet."

"How long til it gets here?"

"About four to five days."

Yondu sucked air in through his teeth and stared at the ground with his hands on his hips. After a moment, he looked back up and gave a nod. "Alright. I'll get the word out to the crew that we'll be here a bit longer than planned. We got everything else though, right?"

"Yes," Lydia answered firmly.

"Good." He made to step around her, but she blocked his path. "Is there something else, Brosh?"

"Yeah," she said uneasily. "Look, I've been doing a lot of work that's taken a toll on my clothes and I kinda need some immediately."

"Can't you wait a few days for the parts?"

"It'll take about two more days to take out the old parts and install the new ones. We're looking at about a week or more of the Tailor being out of order. I _really_ need some clothes."

"And you're wanting to go shopping? On Contraxia?"

"Is there any other option at the moment?"

Yondu's jaw twitched with annoyance. No, there wasn't; but he'd be damned if he was going to let her go planet-side – on Contraxia of all places – alone! But as he thought about it a little longer, something else occurred to him. Before the celebrations had gotten started the other night, he'd helped Lydia transfer a portion of her units to the hospital to cover her momma's bills. He'd caught a peak at her account before she logged out and Lydia hadn't been left with very much. Certainly not enough to buy her more than one shirt and pants with some units left over to last her and Peter for very long. And if her current outfit, with its scorched hem, tiny holes made from sparks, and torn knees, were an indicator of what the rest of her wardrobe looked like, then she needed more than one change of shirt and pants.

Yondu sighed. "I ain't lettin' you go to Contraxia –"

"But –"

" – alone. Contraxia ain't no place for a woman to be traipsing about by herself."

"What kind of planet is it?"

"Let's just say bordellos are a mighty popular venue here."

Her cheeks colored. "Ah. Okay, well, Kraglin can go with me, I guess."

Yondu's jaw muscle twitched at how quickly she suggested Kraglin. "You're gonna ask a young man, who's been cooped up on a ship for months, if he'd forgo easin' his pent-up urges and spend his time goin' clothes shoppin' with you?"

An uncomfortable expression came over Lydia's features. "Well, when you put it that way…" She scratched the back of her neck, embarrassed. "It would be the same situation with any of the men I ask, wouldn't it?" She sighed and glanced down at her clothes. "I guess I can try to wait it out a little longer."

Yondu bit the inside of his cheek to stop the words from coming, but they tumbled out anyway. "Ya ain't even gonna ask me?"

Lydia's forehead wrinkled with perplexity. "Ask you?"

"Yeah."

"Because I know you'll say 'no'. In fact, not only would you tell me 'no', but you'd say it in your colorful way, tossing in a few insults for free."

Yondu placed a hand on his chest and feigned insult. "You really think so little of me, Brosh? You don't think I can be a proper gentleman?"

"You scoff at the mention of decency."

"Bah!"

"You did it again!"

"Did not!"

"Did!"

"Didn't!"

"Did!"

Yondu threw his hands up in the air. "I ain't gettin' in an argument over this!" He began to walk away.

"Wait."

He did. And a voice in his head berated him for doing so.

Lydia walked in front of him again and chewed her bottom lip for a moment. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she asked, "Captain Udonta, will you accompany me planet-side for a supply run?"

Yondu lifted an eyebrow. "Supply run?"

"Figured it sounded better than 'a shopping spree' in case anyone was listening," she whispered.

Yondu gave an amused grunt, a glint of teeth peeking out. "Let me track down Horuz and Halvi. They've had their time and I trust 'em to not steal the ship while me and Kraglin are gone."

Her words came so softly that he almost didn't catch them. "Thank you."

His steps slowed and he turned back around, walking until he was inches away from her. "Hey, about last night –,"

Lydia heaved a big sigh. "I was really, really hoping you wouldn't bring that up."

Yondu scratched the stubble along his chin. "It ain't like we can avoid what happened, sugar."

Lydia's hands clasped themselves in front of her while extending both thumb and index fingers at him. "Okay, before you go any further – I want to apologize –"

"I should be the one –"

" – for disobeying your orders last night."

Yondu stared at her and blinked. "Say what?"

"You told me to lay off the booze; I didn't listen, and I ended up making a complete fool of myself. Next time I'll listen."

Yondu looked at her long and hard, trying to detect any hint that she was holding something back and found nothing. "You don't remember a thing about what happened last night?"

"I remember getting drunk and thanking the crew for kidnapping me."

Yondu nodded and gestured for her to continue. "Aaaand?"

"And what?"

"You really don't remember what happened between us?"

Lydia suddenly looked very wary. "What happened?"

Yondu made a split-second decision. "You got yerself drunk an' we made some sweet, sweet lovin'."

Lydia blanched. "What!"

Yondu threw back his head and howled with laughter. "I'm pullin' yer leg, darlin'!"

A sigh of relief escaped her as she put a hand over her heart. "Geez, Yondu!"

"Yondu!" Peter's voice called.

"Oh no," Lydia breathed. She gripped Yondu by the arms. "You have to hide! You have to hide right now!" She began to push him towards a hall.

"Hey, Yondu! Wait!"

Yondu, grinning like the devil, planted his feet on the ground and turned to face the boy. "Whadya want, Quill?"

"I wanted to ask you a question."

"Oh, good grief, here it comes," Lydia whimpered behind Yondu.

"What's a bordello?" Peter asked innocently.

As Yondu opened his mouth to answer, Lydia darted forward and blocked his view of Peter. "Hey!" she interrupted brightly. "Weren't you about to go look for Horuz and Halvi! Can't waste time, the day will be over before you know it and we've got errands to run!" She grabbed hold of his arm. "You know what? I'll help you look for them!" Without even looking at Peter, she pulled Yondu along with her as she walked past the boy.

"You're avoiding my question, aren't you?" Peter shouted at their backs.

"You bet your little Terran _tookum_ , I am!"

…..

"Stop fidgetin'."

"Sorry."

Lydia stilled her feet and looked out the window at the snow flurries whipping past. Her fingers clasped the blue pendant around her neck. Yondu noticed it from the corner of his eye. "Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?"

Lydia slumped into the co-pilot chair. "I don't know. I mean, maybe because this is going to be my first time being on another planet."

"You've been on a different planet before."

"No – I mean, _really_ being on another planet. Those other times don't count because I was stuck in one place. I didn't get to explore and interact with its inhabitants. Not like this."

"One place is about the same as the other."

"That can't be true."

"Locations may look different, there may be one or two moons in the sky, but when it comes down to it, people are the same no matter where you go. Greedy, self-serving, and dishonest. You can find that anywhere."

Lydia's stare turned a bit studious as she side-eyed him. A tiny smirk curled the corner of her mouth. "You're a joy to have at parties, aren't you?"

Yondu snorted and returned his focus to piloting the ship.

After landing the M-ship, Yondu turned to Lydia and pointed a finger at her. "I'm only gonna say this once, Brosh. The moment we step out that door, you stay next to me. No straying. We get what we came for and go."

Lydia sighed and rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to come, ya know? If it's too much of a bother –"

"If I didn't come, you'd be snatched up in a heartbeat."

A smile teasing smile appeared on Lydia's face. "And having a big, bad, scary Ravager Captain by my side will keep the nasty men away?"

Yondu scowled.

"Aaaaw; ya big softie! You do care!" she cooed, even going so far as to reach out and pinch his cheek.

He slapped her hand away. "Quit that!" He fixed her with a stern glare. "If someone grabs you because you didn't heed my warnin's – don't come cryin' to me."

"That would kinda be hard to do, ya know, considering I'd be in some evil man's clutches," Lydia deadpanned.

The muscle in Yondu's jaw twitched frantically. This girl was gonna be the death of him in some form or fashion, he just knew it. If her choice of clothes didn't give him a heart attack, or her sass didn't make him blow his top, then it would be saving her butt from some disaster. "Stay next to me and don't take too long," he growled. "Do ya hear me?"

Lydia seemed to realize she was pushing her luck. Her teasing smirk went down a notch and she chuckled. "Loud and clear, captain."

Yondu glared at her a few seconds more to show he meant business, then rose from the pilot's chair. Lydia followed him to the door and bounced on her toes as she waited for it to open. Just as it had fully opened and Yondu was about to step out, Lydia looped her arm through his and he stilled. Giving their linked arms a glance, he looked at her in confusion.

"Well, short of chaining me to your hip, I figured this was the next best option to keep me from straying, right?" she said with a grin. The sunlight from outside shone on her face, making her freckles stand out more than they did in the mostly dim lighting on the _Eclector_. Yondu swallowed carefully and tore his gaze away to glare at the world. If anyone so much as looked at her wrong, he'd make them regret it.

….

You can always spot a tourist. Doesn't matter how much they study the maps in their travel guides so they won't have to carry it in the open, doesn't matter how fluent they are in the language, or how well they dress to blend in. They're out of sync with the flow of the place they're visiting. It's in the set of their shoulders, the uncertainty of their steps, that sets them apart from the ones who call the place home. Anyone with eyes could tell I was a tourist, but when it came to Yondu… Sometimes I'd catch myself watching him as we walked. The confidence and surety he exuded was… I don't know – attractive? Is that a thing? Can that be seen as attractive? Total newb when it comes to these things, people! Of course, along with his Ravager garb, he was also wearing this, "I dare you to mess with me," look on his face that made people give us a wide berth and I could feel the muscles of his arm through the leather sleeve, so I was just a tiny bit distracted when I tripped and fell face first in the snow.

Yondu let out a boisterous laugh as he doubled over and clapped his hands. Meanwhile the snow had seeped into my pants and now I was wet and freezing. I stamped my legs on the ground in an attempt to generate some warmth, but it didn't help much. At all.

"Aw, sugar, you're startin' to look a little chilled," Yondu teased, linking our arms again.

"You know, in some cultures, when the man links arms with a female, it's usually their job to make sure the woman doesn't trip," I said through chattering teeth.

"Hey, took me by surprise too, darlin'."

" _Phft_! Sure it did."

His arm slipped away from mine and I was about to remark on it when I felt his hand press against the small of my back and alter our course. "Let's head this way first. You can get yerself something warm to drink."

"Okay," I said, aware that the warmth I was feeling now had nothing to do with the promise of a hot drink and more to do with his hand's placement. He couldn't have placed it higher on my back, could he? Nooo, he had to put it _right there_! So tantalizingly close to the curve of my _tookum_. Either this man knew exactly what he was doing, or I was just the butt end of some cosmic joke. Suuure, let's take this very sexually active male and throw in this clueless chick and see what happens!

…

"How much longer you gonna be in there?" Yondu hollered.

Lydia's head poked out from the changing stall's curtain. "Long enough for you to ask me that two more times."

"Hmph," Yondu grunted, and plopped onto the stool. They'd been to four different clothing stands. So far, they'd found her a pair of boots. Oh sure, they'd found clothes that fit her at the other stands, but none that would have withstood her work conditions for very long. Which had been a real shame, cause Yondu had taken a fancy to some tight-fitting pants she'd tried on, but the material wasn't durable enough. Now she was trying on something the seller had called skinny jeans, some type of cloth material from Terra.

"Captain Udonta, perhaps your wife would care to try this on next?"

Yondu's teeth clenched. "She ain't my wife!" he snapped. This had been an issue too. Every peddler, every wares dealer – they'd all assumed that Lydia was either his wife, girlfriend or mate. The first time it happened, Yondu had felt a jolt of pleasure at the sound of it and what it entailed. That people thought it was possible for someone like him to end up with a woman as pretty as Lydia. But he squashed it down as quickly as it came and replaced it with annoyance. He'd glanced at Lydia to gauge her reaction. Her face was flushed bright red, but whether she was horrified or embarrassed was up for interpretation.

"I'm sorry, sir. You're – uh – girlfriend?"

"Just give it here," he snarled and snatched the garment from the seller.

"Okay, I'm coming out now," Lydia announced. "A simple 'yes' or 'no' will do, I don't need your exact opinion."

"Get on with it already!"

"Okay, okay."

She stepped out from the curtains and Yondu felt the familiar buzz, only this time it was centered around a certain part of his anatomy. He'd buy every pair of jeans the seller had if they all looked that good on her.

"It's a bit tight," Lydia said, self-consciously.

 _I got the same problem, baby._ Yondu cleared his throat and hunched over to hide the evidence, masking his discomfort with aggravation. "Well, can ya move around in them?"

"Don't know yet; hang on."

She walked to a full-length mirror and studied her appearance while Yondu admired his view from the back. What followed next was pure agony as Lydia tested the jeans movement by stretching, crouching, and bending over. Yondu's head snapped around to the seller. "We'll take seven of those."

…

She walked out of the stand wearing the new jeans and carrying a bag that had the other six along with the damp pants. Lydia was too distracted looking at her info-disk to notice Yondu bare his teeth at a purple-skinned male whose gaze lingered a bit too long on Lydia. Not even when he placed a possessive blue hand on her shoulder and tugged her closer to his chest all without looking away from the purple male. The male took the hint and scampered away.

"I just don't remember having this many units left in my account," Lydia commented, brows furrowing at the numbers displayed on the holo-screen.

"Our last heist was pretty decent," Yondu said, glaring at yet another lingering stare.

"Yeah, but there seems to be three times more in my account than what I remember." Her head suddenly lifted as she twisted around to give him a worried look. Yondu snapped his attention back to her just in time. "We didn't forget to pay the hospital, did we?"

Yondu snorted and gave her a small push, prompting her to walk. "We didn't forget. You're just rememberin' wrong." Lydia chewed her bottom lip and glanced at the info-disk once more. Yondu reached around and shut the device. "What's next on the list? Shirts, right?"

….

About two hours later, they were on their way back to the M-ship. Lydia wouldn't be in need of a new wardrobe for some time if the materials proved to be as durable as the ware sellers claimed. Yondu refused to carry shopping bags so they condensed the number of bags so that Lydia only had to tote three.

He caught a hint of a smile on her face. "What?" he grunted.

She shook her head. "Nothing really. It's just… Today's my birthday and it was probably the best one I've had in a long while, is all."

Yondu's chest seized at her words.

"So…when's your birthday?" she asked.

"Don't know."

Lydia scoffed. "Won't tell, more like."

"No. I don't know when it is."

"…Oh. Um…Sorry." An awkward silence followed. He chanced a glance at her. She obviously was curious as to how someone didn't know when their own birthday was, but Yondu always found it to be a conversation stopper when telling people that his own parents hadn't bothered to give him that information before selling their baby to the Kree to become a battle slave. Besides, he despised the looks of pity that usually came with it.

He turned to say something to get the conversation going again. Only to find she wasn't at his elbow anymore. He twisted around. Not behind him either. The blood began to pound in his head as the seconds ticked by without any sign of her.

"Yondu!"

He whirled around in the direction of her voice. Had she sounded scared? It was so quick.

"Yondu! Over here!"

He spun in place until he finally spotted her jumping up and down to get his attention next to a floral ware stand. His relief was quickly replaced with anger as he marched through the crowd towards her. He'd told her to stick close!

"I swear I paused for like one second," she blurted before he could chew her out. "It was barely even a second – couldn't even be counted as a pause! I looked at the flowers, my steps _slowed_ – I did not stop – and then this rude guy stepped in between you and me and the crowd rushed by, so I figured I'd better stay here."

Yondu bit down on the harsh words threatening to explode out of him. She stood rooted to the spot, warily watching him, waiting for him to speak. Unable to take the tense silence for much longer, she pointed at the cluster of flowers next to her and said, "Look, pretty flowers!"

Against his will, a huff of a chuckle escaped him, and the scowl eased off his face. He shook his head. "C'mon, darlin'," he coaxed, reaching for her shoulder.

"Could we – um…"

He halted.

She gestured towards the flowers. "Could we take a minute to look?"

Yondu's brows scrunched together. "You want to look at flowers?"

A sheepish expression appeared on her face. "I haven't seen real flowers since I left Threxia when I was eleven."

Yondu was about to tell her, "That's nice, now let's get movin'," when she added, "I made a birthday wish for flowers every year after we left."

 _That ain't what you told me last night._ Course, last night she hadn't really _told_ him what she was wishing for, but she sure _showed_ him.

"…Did ya ever get any?" he asked.

She gave him a tight smile. "Nah. Couldn't afford to waste units on something that wouldn't last long."

The flower merchant must have been eavesdropping because she interrupted them by saying, "Specially grown my flowers are. Last for a year or even longer if taken proper care of."

The yearning in Lydia's eyes was so strong, Yondu could have sensed it without even looking it her. He heaved a sigh. "If I buy you one can we leave now?"

Lydia's mouth fell partially open. "I – you don't have to –"

"Woman, I know good and well that if you don't get a flower, I'm gonna hear about it for weeks. I'd rather not. So pick one!"

Green eyes quickly scanned the selection, as if afraid he'd suddenly change his mind. "There's so many…"

"It ain't that hard," he snapped.

"Maybe not for you. You're a man –"

"Thanks for noticin'."

"Stuff like this doesn't matter to you."

"A flower is a flower."

"Okay, if it's so easy. Then you pick one for me."

Yondu's sarcasm pulled up short. "Do what now?"

"Pick a flower you think fits me."

"You want me to pick you a flower?" he asked, incredulous. Of all the things in the galaxy!

"Too big and manly to do it?" she taunted.

"Shaddup." He turned to the flowers and looked them over. He only knew the names of a small handful of them, but none of those said 'Lydia' to him. But up in the very top right corner of the cart, there was a cluster of the same kind of flowers in various colors. One of them struck a chord with him. He pointed. "That one."

The flower merchant grinned as if she knew a secret. "Ah. The blue rose."

Yondu forked over the money and the merchant handed the flower to him. A thorn poked his thumb but didn't break the skin. With it in his hands, the petals seemed a darker blue than him. He passed the rose to Lydia. "Here," he grunted.

Lydia blinked at the rose. "It's very blue," she commented.

"Ya got a problem with the color?"

A slow smile worked its way onto her lips as she looked at his face. "No. Not at all." She lifted the flower to her nose and inhaled its aroma. "Just curious as to why you thought this fit me, is all."

"If ya don't like it –"

"I love it," she quickly assured him.

It took him a bit by surprise, but he masked it with a firm nod. "Well, alright then. Let's get goin'."

"A moment, sir," the flower merchant interjected. "I must have a quick word with your wife concerning the rose's upkeep."

"SHE AIN'T MY –!" Throwing his hands up in the air, he shouted, "Ya know what? Forget it! Talk her ear off for all I care!" He stomped off for few steps away, but still keeping her in sight.

…..

"Sorry about that," I apologized to the flower merchant. "We've been mistaken for that all day and I guess it's gotten on his last nerve."

The older woman gave a knowing 'hmmm', but it sounded more like she knew that wasn't the case. "I knew you weren't married."

"You did? Then why –"

"Because I had to see how he felt about you, especially after I saw which flower he chose for you."

I glanced down at the rose in my hand. "What about it?"

"Each flower has a meaning. And sometimes, a man will choose a flower, seemingly at random, _but_ Fate may have a hand in his choosing."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"You told him to choose a flower that he felt fit you, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then do yourself a favor and look up the meaning of blue roses. And take this card which has the instructions to care for the flower."

"Can't you just tell me what it means?"

The flower merchant tapped the side of her nose with a playful smile. "Much more fun if you find out a little bit later."

"Woman, let's get goin'!" Yondu bellowed. I gave him an impatient wave and thanked the woman. Hurrying towards Yondu, I nearly slid on some ice, but righted myself in time. "No more stops. Let's go." He grabbed hold of my arm and guided me through the thick of the crowd.

As more bodies pressed in on us, I became aware of Yondu's arm around my waist, pulling me closer to his side. I craned my neck to look up at him. His crimson eyes darted about, watchful and alert to any potential danger. Even when the crowd had thinned out enough to give us plenty of elbow room, Yondu still didn't let me go. And I found myself not bothering to point it out to him.

….

After Yondu docked the M-ship in the _Eclector's_ hangar, I gave him a grateful smile. "I guess you can still be a bit of a Prince Charming." I moved to gather my bags, carefully tucking the rose into one of them.

"Hold up, Brosh," Yondu said, arm extending to block my path. "Not a word of this to the crew. Ya hear me, princess?"

I set down the bags and gave him a Ravager salute. "Loud and clear as always, captain."

I immediately went to my room. I was exhausted and didn't want to accidentally run into any of the crew while carrying my bags. There was another reason for wanting to get to my room quickly. I was burning with curiosity to know the meaning behind blue roses. And when I finally settled down that night with my info-disk, I got my answer. Or did I? It didn't exactly make much sense to me.

' _Blue roses symbolize the impossible, or the unattainable. Since blue roses are a rarity in nature, it stands for something that is hardly within one's grasp, an object that seems too difficult to be achieved. Thus, the blue rose is admired and revered as an unrealizable dream."_

I stared at the words for several seconds. "So does the same thing go for blue men?"

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"Tell me what a bordello is, Lydia!"

"Go to s _carrin'_ bed, Peter!"

 **(I know this was much shorter than the last chapter, but I wanted to make sure I got this out for you Readers before Christmas. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. I've got a convention coming up in January where I'll hopefully get to meet Sean Gunn (Kraglin) again. I keep praying that Michael Rooker will be added to the roster, but it will be what it will be. I'd just really like to have the chance to team up with him again to prank my friend, ya know? I mean, last time was freakin' epic! Anyway, enjoy your Christmas! Please leave me a little present in the form of a review, follow or favorite.)**


	12. Mama Liked the Roses

**(Sorry for the long wait, folks. It's been a doozy! A Heck of a lot has happened and it would take way to long to sum up, so were' just going to dive right in to the story.)**

 **[Songs used, mentioned, and suggested for Chapter Twelve]**

 **~ "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone**

 **~ "Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen (listening when Lydia's just about to start practicing her aerial skills)**

 **~ "In My Arms" by Plumb (I think this is a sweet song that relates to Lydia and Peter's relationship.)**

 **Chapter Twelve**

 _Mama Liked the Roses_

The Next Day

Terran Date: May 14th, 1989

I noticed that Peter seemed a bit down when he joined me at the table for breakfast. At first, I thought he was being moody because I'd resolutely refused to tell him what a bordello was, and he hadn't been allowed to go planet-side. But as I watched him throughout the day, it occurred to me that his mood wasn't just about being a bummed-out kid. There was something else going on. I tried asking him about it, but he just shrugged and gave a grunt that I've heard grown men make that in their minds is a perfectly good answer when it really isn't.

So, I left it alone for the time being and suggested he help me with assembling a new spear gadget in my tinker shop. That cheered him right up. "Can we make it shoot lasers?" he asked excitedly as we entered the shop. Peter was practically bouncing on his toes.

"Hmmm, don't think that'll fly very well with the captain, Peter."

"He doesn't have to know. Can you imagine the look of surprise on his face when you wipe some guy out with a laser beam, though!"

"More like a look of rage, kid. He'd be furious that we kept that from him."

"Maybe for a few seconds, but if you blasted a hundred bad guys that were surrounding you and him, I bet he'd come around to it."

I ruffled his already unruly hair and laid out some metal rods I'd selected and cut to proper size the other day to form a base for the spear. "Yondu's just started to trust me, Peter. He hasn't let me get a gun yet, so I doubt he'll be okay with a laser shooting spear. But, don't worry," I added in response to his pouting, "I've got some other cool surprises in mind for this one."

"Like what?" he asked, the excitement coming back in his eyes. I took a roll of blueprints from my desk drawer and unfurled them on the worktable for him to see. His eyes widened. "Wooooow."

* * *

Okay, so I may be able to say 'no' to a lot of things Peter asks me. I'm no softie. I can give some tough love. It's just that when I feel something's bothering the kid and he's not going to come out and say it, I'm a _squig_ more easygoing until I can find out what the issue is. So, when he asked if he could hookup his Walkman to my shop's stereo, I let him. I'm kinda particular about what music I listen to when I'm working, but I was more concerned over Peter's behavior.

" _Nothin' the matter with your head  
Baby, find it, come on and find it  
Hail, with it, baby  
'Cause you're fine  
And you're mine, and you look so divine…  
Come and get your love…"_

"Hey, Peter," I called, pausing my work with the soldering iron. Peter lifted his visor at the same time I did. "This one too," I said. Whenever I heard a song on his tape that I liked, I'd let him know so we could add it to my collection later. He gave a thumbs up and purposefully nodded his head with enough force to move his visor back into place without using his hands.

I noticed he watched me very intently when I began to give shape to my spear and asked me a lot of questions about techniques and tools used to form metal into shapes. Thinking that he might be developing an interest in welding or some type of metalworking, I talked him through what I was doing and even allowed him to handle one or two tools under extremely close supervision. And when I say extremely close supervision I mean, I never fully let go of the tool.

A few hours later, we managed to complete about twenty percent of my spear's inner mechanics when I got hailed by Yarov to check out a glitch in the ship's solar power reserves unit. He'd been tasked with checking the power we were accumulating from Contraxia's sun and discovered that the lower panels weren't fully extending, so it couldn't store power to its full compacity. "You go on ahead, Lydia. I have to help Cor scrub dishes in the kitchen and I wanna grab some extra batteries for my Walkman."

"You know, I can replace your Walkman's batteries with a better power source so you won't have to worry about running out before we make another supply stop."

"Maybe later," he said evasively. "I better get those batteries; don't want to keep Cor waiting or he'll give me the pots covered in crust to scrub." And with that he dashed down the hall.

* * *

 _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

"Yonduuu!" Quill's voice called from behind the door of his quarters. Yondu scowled as he looked up from the star charts at his desk. "Go away!" he barked.

"No!" _Bang! Bang! Bang!_ "I can do this all-day cycle! Gramps said I was made of never-ending energy!" _Bang! Bang! Bang!_

 _The boy's stubborn enough to do it too_ , Yondu reckoned. With some mumbled curses, he hauled himself out of his chair and stomped to the door. His scowl must have intensified in those few seconds because the moment the door opened and revealed him to Quill, the kid took a timid step back. "What do want, boy?" he growled.

"I – um – well, you see –"

"Spit it out, boy!"

"I – I –"

"If ya don't make this quick I'm gonna eat 'chu."

" _IneedyourhelptosneakinsideLydia'stinkershopsoIcanmakeherapresent_!"

Yondu blinked once. "Now, I only understood about half of that."

Quill took a calming breath and tried again. "I need your help to sneak inside Lydia's tinker shop so I can make her a present."

Yondu sucked air through his teeth and leaned on the door frame. "Bit late, ain't it? Her birthday was yesterday."

"Yeah, but this isn't for her birthday – it's for – …something else. And Lydia says it's too dangerous for me to be taken to Contraxia, so I can't buy anything there. Please, Yondu?" Quill pleaded, even going so far as to clasp his hands in front of him. "This is really, _really_ important."

Damn it, the kid was giving him those big eyes. Sighing through his nose, Yondu eyed Quill and asked, "You know how to use those tools?"

" _Psh_! Of course, I do. Lydia's let me work with them before."

Yondu narrowed his eyes with suspicion. He knew that girl was a stickler about her tools. Hell, she didn't even leave the boy alone in her shop.

"Pleeeaaase, Captain Yondu, sir?"

Yondu cocked an eyebrow. The kid was laying it on thick. Whatever the reason for making Lydia a present, it seemed mighty important that it happened.

* * *

Yondu punched in his Captain's Access code for the shop's door and Quill darted inside the moment he could. He made a beeline for the worktable littered with tools and picked up a soldering iron. He looked at it for a few seconds, then set it down and picked up a blowtorch, only to put it back as well. He did the same with two other tools.

Yondu's brows knitted together in a frown. "I thought you said you knew how to use her tools?"

"I do," Quill insisted heatedly, clutching the piece of equipment in his hands tightly.

"Really?" Yondu asked with a smirk twitching at his lips as he sauntered further into the shop. He leaned on the edge of Lydia's desk and folded his arms. "'Cause if that's the case then Brosh should have taught you the right way to hold that tool without the risk of it gouging yer eye from its socket the moment you turn it on. Which is just what you're about to do if ya keep inchin' that finger of yer's towards the on switch."

Quill yelped and none-too-gently dropped the tool back onto the table. A raspy chuckle escaped from Yondu's throat as he slapped the boy on the back. "You think you can lie to me, boy? I know Brosh ain't stupid enough to let you handle this equipment without her."

"Then why'd you let me in?" Quill asked, miffed.

"So you'd learn yer lesson about gettin' caught in a lie, son."

"I wasn't lying. Lydia's let me use her tools."

"How often?"

"…Today."

Yondu snorted and shook his head as he straightened and began to turn towards the door. "I tell you what," he muttered beneath his breath.

"Yondu, wait! I've got to make this present for her and you're the only one who can help me!"

"Get Kraglin or Halvi to help ya do it, boy."

"But they didn't go shopping with her!"

Yondu whirled around and towered over Quill. "Who told you that?" he demanded.

"I was hiding in the hangar and saw the two of you coming out of your ship and Lydia had some bags with her." He caught sight of the scowl on Yondu's face and quickly added. "But I haven't told anyone!"

Yondu's jaw muscle ticked as he continued to glower. He poked his finger hard against Quill's chest. "You tell anybody what you saw, boy, and Cor will be servin' Terran stew quicker than you can blink," he growled. "Understood?" Quill's head rapidly bobbed up and down. Yondu's eyes narrowed to slits as he maintained eye contact with the little Terran, trying to detect a lie. The kid looked too plain scared to be pulling a fast one on him. "What do ya need my help for?" he finally asked.

"What kind of stuff did Lydia seem to like when ya'll were out shopping?"

Yondu's brow puckered in thought. His mind went back to the end of their outing. The way her eyes lingered on the flowers with such yearning it nearly made your heart break to see it. "She liked the flower cart. She got herself a blue rose that the seller said would last her for a year."

"A rose, huh?" Quill sighed and flopped onto a stool with a dejected expression. "There's no way I can make a rose out of metal. All those petals…" He huffed and put his chin in both palms as his elbows came to rest on his knees.

Yondu felt something niggling its way inside his chest at the look of disappointment on Quill's young face. The sensation was like what Yondu had felt when he first nabbed Quill from Terra and decided not to follow through with the arrangement. Ravagers didn't get niggles. They stomped them to a pulp. He should order the boy out of the shop and that be the end of it. But just like then, Yondu found he couldn't bring himself to stomp.

Glancing outside the door, Yondu ran a hand down his face, already regretting his decision, and said, "Look, boy; you don't know the first thing about these tools. Yer liable to set somethin' on fire. So, here's what we're gonna do…"

* * *

He had Quill use a piece of white chalk to draw a flower shape on a sturdy sheet of silver metal, then a circle on a copper-toned sheet. Yondu cut the shapes and let Quill hammer some decorative textures for the petals and engrave lines for the flower's pistil. He attached the circle and the main part of the flower with a steel pin in the center and fixed the pendant's copper-toned connector to the end of the top petal with another steel pin. The chain was also copper colored but made from sturdier material. The finished product was simple and crude and Yondu was having second thoughts about letting Quill give it to Lydia as a present. He also needed to come up with a plausible explanation as to how Quill was able to get inside the shop and make the necklace.

Quill kept quiet about the purpose of why he wanted to give Lydia the trinket and remained adamant that it wasn't a belated birthday present. Yondu led the boy out of Lydia's shop with curiosity nagging at him. It had taken about an hour and they'd finished it just as lunch was about to be served. Quill was eager to meet Lydia in the mess hall and galloped ahead of Yondu. The boy and Lydia had already grabbed their lunch trays and were sitting down to eat by the time Yondu arrived. Kraglin joined them, taking the seat next to Lydia, and a different sensation began to niggle at Yondu. He'd felt it briefly before, whenever he'd catch his First Mate and Lydia talking friendly-like. He clenched his jaw and snapped at whoever had kitchen duties to dish out the food faster. He snatched his food tray and stomped his way to the table Quill, Lydia, Kraglin and Halvi were sharing with a few others.

* * *

Peter and I sat facing each other, with Halvi taking up the seat to Peter's right and Kraglin also seated at my right side. I sensed Yondu approaching from my back before he plopped heavily into the empty seat to my left and dug into his food without a word. He seemed to be a bit cranky. Not exactly unusual, but I couldn't recall doing anything to annoy him just yet.

"So, uh, Lydia," Peter began nervously. "Remember how you were telling me about holidays and celebrations on your planet the other day?"

I had just taken a very un-ladylike helping of _truptz_ into my mouth and could only respond with, "Mmmh-hmmph." Yondu smirked at me.

"Well, there's a holiday on my planet that's taking place today – or at least I think it's today. Space time is really confusing."

I took a swig of water to wash my food down. "What holiday is it, Peter?"

"It's um…it's called Mother's Day."

I paused; my attention suddenly focused on the little boy sitting across from me. His mom was always a sensative subject. It worried me how little he spoke of her and I wondered if I did the right thing by promising Peter I wouldn't force him to come to terms with her death. Hadn't Yondu kidnapped him almost a year ago? And the kid still hadn't opened his mother's present….

Peter squirmed in his seat a little before continuing. "Back on Earth – erm, Terra – Mother's get special things done for them; like being served breakfast in bed, or they're given flowers, cards, and other stuff."

"Sounds like a bunch of sentimental crap," Yondu muttered beneath his breath. I gave him a warning kick to the shin, got a glare in return, but kept my focus on Peter.

"Sometimes though, um, a kid doesn't have … a mom…but he's got someone who's _like_ a mom, ya know? Cause they look after him…" I told myself I would never cry in front of the crew. But when Peter reached into his Ravager jacket pocket and pulled out a necklace with a simple metal flower as the pendant, I got choked up. "Since my mom's… I thought – you being the one looking after me… If it's not too weird –"

I couldn't speak past the lump in my throat well enough to answer him, so I got up, went around the table, and enveloped him in a hug. "Thank you," I whispered in his ear. He squeezed me back.

"Aaaaaw," came the mockfully sweet coos of some of the crew members sitting at other tables.

"Enough of that mush," Yondu said gruffly. "Ravagers don't hug. Now sit down and eat yer lunch before time's up."

We parted and I ruffled the kid's hair as I went to sit down. He grinned when I put the necklace on and maybe I imagined it, but I thought I saw him and Yondu share a brief glance and Yondu wink back at him. But like I said, I'm not so sure.

* * *

"Hey, Peter, wanna see something cool?"

"Duh!"

"Come on…"

Needless to say, Peter's little gift made my day and reduced me to a bowl of mush. I'd always known I would defend the kid if he were in trouble, but something had changed today. Peter had just as good as called me family and that's what we'd be from now on. So, I decided I could let him in on a little project I'd been working on since the bank heist a couple of days ago. My incident with the rope had put the idea in my head. I didn't want to be caught unprepared like that again. So, what's a girl with access to a giant supply of tools, spare parts, and other _cobs_ and _bwabs_ to do? Make something of it.

* * *

Yondu had seen the two of them sneaking around the ship on the security feed. It looked like Lydia was wheeling a trunk behind her. After tracking their movements for a few minutes, Yondu realized with some alarm that their destination appeared to be the hangar. The suspicious part of his mind whispered how well Lydia had learned to fly an M-ship in open space and that the size of the trunk could have fit both her and the boy's belongings if packed just right. Yondu didn't wait for the more rational side of his brain to chime in. He stormed out of the room and didn't care who or what stood in his way.

* * *

"You're gonna set up an aerial rig in the hangar?"

"Yep."

"This is going to be so freakin' cool!" Peter said, bouncing on his toes.

I wiggled my outstretched hand which held the end of a long bolt of cloth I'd ordered from the Contraxian market. "Concentrate, kid, or else you can just sit on the sidelines and watch."

Peter took it from me and began to thread the cloth through the metal X-mount hook. We were on the catwalk closest to the support poles. No one else was occupying it, so no one could question what we were doing there and a good thing too. I had another piece of equipment stashed in the trunk that I technically hadn't been given permission to use, but Halvi said – but _didn't say_ – that he'd look the other way. The gear consisted of a pair of magnetized gloves and two magnetized shoe discs that would allow me to climb the poles and install the mount at the best position. Most people would probably have questioned my choice of location, but it was the only part of the ship that had the height I needed. Plus, I was rigging it nearer to the entrance and as far away from the docked M-ships as possible.

"Okay, kid," I said after clipping the mount to my belt and donned the magnetized gloves and discs. "Hold the cloth steady for me while I climb up there."

"Roger."

I activated the gear and stood before the beam, gazing up at how high of a climb I had. Trepidation seeped in and made my knees want to knock together. The only thing that kept it from happening was that I knew Peter would probably stick me with a nickname like, 'Knee Knocker Lydia,' for the rest of my life.

"Well?" Peter asked.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"What the hell are you doin'?"

I had never been gladder to hear that blue grump's voice! …. Until I remembered I was wearing unofficially borrowed equipment. "Oh! Heeeey, Yonduuu," I greeted nervously. I clasped my hands behind my back as I turned to face him. "How's life?"

His eyes took in the open trunk and the yards of fabric clipped to my belt. "I repeat; what the hell are you doin'?"

"Lydia's setting up an aerial rig in the hangar," Peter responded, finger pointing accusingly at me.

"Snitch," I muttered.

Yondu's red gaze fixed on me. "Is that right?"

"Well, uh, I've been thinking about the bank heist on A'askavariia and the whole situation with the harness –"

Yondu actually looked a bit apologetic as he scratched at his jaw and mumbled, "That wasn't supposed to happen."

"I'm not accusing you, Yondu, I'm just saying that I want to be prepared for any possible situations similar to it so I'll be safe and not waste time trying to figure my way out of a mess. I've been working on this rigging so I can practice."

"An' you just decided to set up in the hangar?"

"It has the ceiling height I need and isn't in constant use. I'm not going to be in any of the ships' way."

"Ya didn't think to ask me first, seein' as how I'm yer captain?"

Peter and I exchanged a nervous glance. How to proceed? "Weee thought we'd surprise you?" Peter replied, uncertainty drawing out his vowels.

"…Surpriiise!" I sang, extending my arms out with forced cheer. Yondu grunted. I realized he was staring at my hands. My _gloved_ hands. _Sprek_. "Look, I'm – I'm sorry I didn't think to ask you. I'm still used to carrying out whatever idea pops into my head without asking for permission. It's just been 'me', ya know?"

I thought I detected a small wince, but it was gone in a flash and the glare returned. "Show me what'chu got in mind first, Brosh. Then I'll decide whether or not you should be punished."

* * *

It didn't take long for Yondu to realize that Lydia's idea actually had some merit to it. It was never a guarantee that they'd have a harness or an aero-rig ready on hand, so there could be some real benefits in future gigs with her practicing these aerial maneuvers she filled him in about. When she finished explaining and they discussed how to rig her equipment, he skimmed over the fact that she'd taken the magnetized gear without proper authorization and asked if she was comfortable enough to use it herself or if he needed to call over a crew member with experience using it. She said she could handle it, but he caught the nervous twitch of her mouth, and now Yondu was holding his breath as he watched her climbing up the poles and affixing the mount. His lungs were grateful when her feet were firmly planted on the catwalk again.

"Now what?" he grunted, helping to steady her as she balanced on one foot to remove the magnet discs from her shoes. The tiny clink of metal drew his eyes to the metal flower round her neck. It made him a bit nervous how relieved he'd felt when Lydia didn't turn her nose up at it.

"Now I change into some clothes that won't hamper my movements and try it out. Wait here!" she called over her shoulder as she dashed away.

Yondu's hands went to his hips as he hollered at her back. "I ain't to be ordered around by you, woman!" She didn't turn or respond. Yondu blinked at the entranceway, looked around, glanced at the cloth dangling from the ceiling, then let out an annoyed snort and sat himself on the trunk next to Quill. He side-glanced at the boy and casually withdrew his Yakka arrow as if to inspect it. "So, Quill; I suppose ya like Brosh as yer care-taker? She looks after you alright?"

"Yeah; she takes great care of me. She doesn't talk to me mean or avoid me all the time. She doesn't baby me either. I like her a lot." A devious little smirk crossed Quill's features as he met Yondu's gaze. "You do too."

Yondu scowled. "Where'd you get an idea like that?"

"You look at her boobs a lot."

Heat creeped up his neck. "She's got a lot of dang freckles! Can't help it if they catch my eye. It's distracting," he growled.

The boy actually rolled his eyes at him. " _Phft_. Yeah, okay."

Yondu eyed the kid. Someone that young looking shouldn't be catching on just yet where his attention was focusing. "How old are you, boy?"

Quill's expression became sardonic. "I'm turning nine in August, not two."

Yondu gave a bark of laughter and ruffled the boy's unruly hair. "Ya still got a lot to learn I imagine, but yer on yer way, Quill." The kid's eyes shone with a hint of pride. The moment was squelched when Yondu cuffed him upside the head and said, "You don't breathe a word of that to Brosh, understand?" Quill winced, rubbing the back of his skull, but nodded.

A few minutes later, Lydia strode back onto the catwalk wearing her yellow tank top and a pair of very formfitting red leggings that made Yondu's mouth go dry. He didn't remember buying those for her birthday. He'd definitely remember those. "Where'd you get that?" he asked, his voice coming out a bit hoarse sounding.

"I managed to have more money than usual left over after our shopping excursion yesterday and put in an overnight order. I got a few other outfits like it so I can practice."

That brought on mixed emotions for Yondu. He'd have the pleasure of seeing her in those perfectly tailored leggings. The downside was – so would the rest of the crew. It was very frustrating to have a woman looking like Lydia on a ship crewed only by men. If there were other females onboard, maybe Yondu wouldn't be so tense every time he caught sight of her wearing something that made his brain temporarily shut down and turn control over to the more primal instincts. He couldn't even enjoy the sights for very long without instantly worrying how his crew would behave.

"Yondu? Yondu, hey? Are you okay?" Lydia was asking him.

He snapped out of it and furrowed his brow. "Why do ya ask?"

"Cause a second ago you moaned like you were in pain," Lydia said with the tone of someone stating the obvious, but still worried.

 _Damn_. He hadn't even realized. "Check yer hearin', woman. I ain't made any sound," he said gruffly. He stood to his feet, thought better of it, sat back down then folded one leg over his knee and jutted his chin at the clothe. "Ya gonna practice or what?"

Lydia's confusion melted away to eagerness as she hurried down the stairs to the awaiting fabrics. Yondu wheeled the trunk closer to the guardrail so he and Quill could observe her from the catwalk. It was pure agony to watch as Lydia stretched her muscles. The gal was pretty flexible. Yondu bent over at the waist to press his forehead to the cool metal of the railing while both hands gripped it tightly. He squeezed his eyes shut. This was punishment, wasn't it? Punishment for what he'd done in the past for Quill's father… Nah. Too light a penalty for that. If ever he did receive his sentence for those deeds, it would be much, much worse.

"Oh wow," Quill's words suddenly cut in. Yondu lifted his head to see what had elicited such awe in the boy's voice. Lydia was flying. It didn't last long; she must have been coming to the end by the time he'd looked up. "Do it again!" Quill urged. Lydia complied and Yondu paid close attention. She wrapped her upper arms in the silks, got a running start and then her bare feet left the ground as she circled the perimeter. The white fabric billowed behind her, transforming Lydia into something angelic.

Yondu sat and watched her for the whole hour she practiced. The exercises she tried were all fairly simple since she was only just beginning, but he found himself captivated all the same. After some excited urging from Quill, Lydia attempted something a bit more complicated and ended up getting her foot twisted in the silks and hanging upside down.

"Need some assistance there, Brosh?"

"No; I've got it." She struggled to free herself, but eventually gave up and called for Yondu. "Actually, uh – Yondu, I could use some help."

Yondu rose with a chuckle. "Deny, deny, deny; then who do the ladies ask for? Me."

"Huh?" Quill asked, his face screwed up in confusion.

"You'll learn when yer older, boy."

Yondu continued to tease Lydia as he descended the stairs and gave her a smug grin. "Stop looking so superior and at least get me upright; _please_. My head's beginning to hurt."

He chuckled. "Alright, princess, alright." Luckily, she wasn't caught so high up that he couldn't reach her. Using his right arm, he hoisted her upper body and had her shoulders supported against his chest. Yondu removed the knife he wore on his left coat sleeve. "Keep still."

"Don't cut it!" Lydia yelped. "This fabric was pretty pricy. I won't be able to afford a replacement anytime soon."

Yondu huffed and tucked the blade into his back pocket. Readjusting his grip on Lydia, he tried to come up with another way to get her free. Untangling her by hand seemed the only other option if cutting the fabric was out of the question. "Boy," Yondu called to where Quill was still perched on the trunk. "Get me one of the boarding ladders from the M-ships further on down in the hanger. It's got wheels so it shouldn't be no trouble moving it. Go on; git!"

Peter hurried along the catwalk and quickly descended the set of stairs at the far end. The metallic echo of his footfalls dulled a bit the further he went. As they waited, Yondu caught Lydia's look of discomfort at being held in such an uncomfortable position and heard himself saying, "I know, baby girl, I know." He felt her go still. He wanted to kick himself in the head. Why'd he have to say that out loud?

"Is that how you see me?" Lydia suddenly asked. "A helpless baby?"

That wasn't how he saw her at all. Not even close. She was younger than him, sure. Hell, he guessed there was at least a fifteen-year difference between them; couldn't be certain since his slavers didn't think keeping his birthdate on record was important. But she wasn't some doe-eyed gal who thought the world was all rainbows and sunshine. She'd gone through some tough crap and found ways to survive it, but she wasn't exactly prepared for the life of a Ravager though. He was training her as best he could. It didn't feel like enough. She was by no means frail looking, but she still seemed so small standing next to him.

"No, darlin'. I don't think yer helpless."

"Then why did you call me –"

"Would ya rather I called you a teasing vixen?" he quickly retorted, giving her a cheeky grin. "Granted I usually reserve my more colorful endearments for the women I've bedded, but if you ain't happy with 'baby girl' then –"

"It's fine!" Lydia yelped, ears burning.

"You sure 'bout that?" He lifted his free arm to poke at the small of her back which had the desired effect of making her squirm and distract her from the conversation. Unable to properly defend herself, Lydia could only briefly swat at his hand for two seconds before needing to grab onto him again to keep herself semi-upright.

"Stop that! I mean it! Yondu – ah!" She let out a giggle. "Seriously! I'm ticklish."

"Oh, you in trouble now, sugar." And Yondu, never having tickled anyone in his life, proceeded to torment Lydia.

"You _borga_!" Lydia managed to gasp between fits of laughter.

Yondu gave it a rest and angled his head to meet her eyes. A toothy grin adorned his features. "Guess our next lesson should involve you getting out of situations like this, huh?"

"If only I could always have Peter nearby with a rolling ladder," Lydia joked. Yondu gave a raspy chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Yondu twisted around to find Quill hurrying to push the ladder their way.

"Nothin'. Get over here with that ladder quick, boy, before my arm falls off."

"You weren't complaining about holding me before."

"You weren't squirmin' 'round before, were ya?"

"And who's fault is that?" Lydia quipped, giving him a pointed smirk.

"Yours. Shouldn't have admitted yer ticklish," Yondu retorted without missing a beat. Lydia's mouth fell open in feigned insult as a scoff escaped her. Yondu instructed Quill where to roll the ladder then climbed the steps until he was able to shift Lydia off his chest and arm and onto the top perch. He positioned himself to be at the lower steps and got to work on untangling her foot.

"Those were some pretty cool tricks you did, Lydia," the boy said, sitting cross-legged at the foot of the ladder.

"Thanks, Peter –" she gave a startled gasp and jerked her leg from Yondu's grasp.

Yondu help up his palms. "Just tryin' to untangle ya, woman! Ain't my fault yer feet are ticklish too!"

"I will kick that square jaw of yours if I even suspect you're about to try anything, Yondu," Lydia threatened, eyes narrowed at him. With sarcastically slow movements, Yondu reached for her bound foot and proceeded to free it.

"Do you think you that tonight could finish that Peter Pan story you were telling me last night?" Quill suddenly asked Lydia.

"Yeah, I don't see why not. You'll have to tell me what you remember hearing last cause I'm not too sure when exactly you fell asleep."

"It was a little after the part when the mermaids tried to drown Wendy."

"What the hell are mermaids?" Yondu interrupted.

Lydia and Quill looked at him as if suddenly remembering he was with them. "They're mythical creatures in Terran stories," Lydia explained.

"What they look like?"

"Their upper bodies are said to be beautiful women and where their legs would be are fish tails instead."

Yondu made a face. "Ain't not mythical creature, Brosh. Those are called 'marwons'. Plenty of them swimmin' around the waters of the planet Marshjah."

Lydia and Quill's mouth dropped open. "Mermaids are real?" Quill squeaked excitedly. "Can we go there? Please, Yondu? _Pleeeease_?" Lydia looked like she was about to join in on the pleading, but she pressed her lips together tightly and kept quiet, just looked at Yondu intently.

"Ain't much there, Quill. It's mostly a vacation planet for rich folks. Lots of beaches, crystal clear water, cities under the oceans –"

"If you're trying to talk the place down, you're doing an awful job," Lydia stated.

"I'm just saying that there's nothing there to warrant the trip. I ain't about to waste fuel just to go sight-seeing."

"So when you're not 'ravaging' places – what _do_ you do?" she asked, pointedly. The fabric came loose from her foot. Yondu took a moment to rub the circulation back into it, smoothing away the marks left upon her skin from the fabric being wrapped too tight. It must have felt good cause he noticed Lydia's eyes flutter shut and the hint of a smile twitch her lips. Yondu cleared his throat and set her foot down, her eyes snapped open and she blushed, looking away.

"Ravagers ravage, darlin'. We don't go to spas and beaches."

"No. Just bordellos, right?" she said with some snark. Maintaining their eye contact, she immediately pointed a warning finger past Yondu towards Quill. "Don't even bother asking, kid." He heard the sound of a jaw snapping closed.

"We ain't tourists, darlin'. What we do ain't just a job. It's life."

"But do you have fun doing it?"

A wolfish grin showed off his crooked teeth. "What do you think, sugar?"

"I think constantly stealing and ravaging could get pretty dull without something to break up the monotony of it." She stood to her feet and stepped around him as she made her way down the ladder steps. When she reached the bottom, she glanced back at him. "Ask the crew if they want to go. You might be surprised."

"If more than fifty of my crew want to go then I'll set a course for it. But I highly doubt even fifteen will want to go."

* * *

The announcement was made during dinner in the mess hall. Seventy-nine men publicly said they wanted to go. Another twenty-five came to him in private later and said they wouldn't mind the change. Lydia and Quill were thrilled. That night-cycle, after Yondu had made his rounds before retiring, he used his holo-pad to tap into the security feed located in the hall that Lydia and Quill's quarters were at. There was a camera that was angled just enough that you could see into Quill's room if the door was open. He couldn't say when it became a habit for him to check in on Quill before going to bed, it just happened.

Tonight, the door was open, and Lydia was tucking Quill into bed. She sat on the mattress' edge and began to speak. Yondu turned on the sound. "Okay, kid, I don't remember this part of the story as well as you probably do. My dad told it to me a long, long time ago – so you might have to help me with the details."

"That's okay. I like hearing your version. It's different. It would be boring if it was the same as everyone else's."

Lydia ruffled his hair. "You can be really sweet when you're not being a little snot, you now that, kid?"

Quill laughed as he swatted at her hand and snuggled into the sheets. "Come on, tell the story."

"Alright. So there, they were – trapped on a rock just barely big enough for the two of them – when Peter spotted the kite fluttering their way…"

Yondu went through the motions of undressing, his eyes remaining on the screen. When sat on his bed, he placed the holo-pad on the drawer next to it and kept listening to Lydia's tale. He never had someone tell him fairytales when he was a kid. Normally he would have scoffed at the idea of a grown man listening to them. But right now, at this moment, with Lydia's voice weaving pictures in his head… He laid on his back and stared at the ceiling, listening to Lydia's story until sleep claimed him. He had no nightmares that night.

 **(I hope there's still people here reading this story. I'd love to hear from you guys. The next upcoming chapter has been one of my favorites to write and I'm excited to see what you'll think when it arrives. Give ya a hint: the chapter title is 'The Birds, the Bees, and A'askavariians'. I'll leave you to your speculations. Until next time, Dear Readers!)**


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